Card Number 714, Agnes Lyndin, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-3) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Editor: This albumen print from the 1880s, created by W. Duke, Sons & Co., depicts Agnes Lyndin and was part of a cigarette card series. The photograph itself seems so formal, yet knowing it was meant as a disposable advertising piece creates a fascinating tension. How do you interpret the use of such techniques for commercial purposes? Curator: For me, this piece speaks volumes about the commodification of image and labor. Photography, still relatively new, becomes a tool for mass consumption. The albumen print, a meticulous process involving light-sensitive chemicals and skilled labor, contrasts sharply with the throwaway nature of the cigarette card. The actress herself, Agnes Lyndin, is reduced to a marketing tool, her image sold to promote the product. The very act of production highlights the exploitation inherent in late 19th-century capitalism, doesn’t it? Editor: I never thought about it that way, I just saw a historical photograph of an actress. I’m now realizing the printing and distribution were a much larger enterprise involving labor and production to churn these out! It seems like the value of Lyndin's image here relies less on artistry and more on her recognizability. Does that affect our understanding of celebrity and consumption even today? Curator: Precisely. Think about the printing press, and the paper needed. Then, the circulation of the cards through the purchase of cigarettes further embeds the image in a network of trade and consumption. Are we so different today, with our own digital cigarette cards - think NFTs, and digital artwork available through crypto-currency - relying on material support systems for immaterial "ownership?" Editor: That's a fascinating parallel! Looking at it this way really sheds light on the broader system that produced this seemingly simple card. I have learned to appreciate a completely new aspect of the print, looking beyond Agnes. Curator: Exactly, by understanding how such seemingly “disposable” images came into being, we also get a richer view into their world, even if they do not portray all of reality.