Mlle. Olga, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1890 - 1895

Editor: This is a print of "Mlle. Olga," dating from around the 1890s, from the Actors and Actresses series by W. Duke, Sons & Co., part of a cigarette promotion. The sepia tone gives it such a dreamy, nostalgic feel. I wonder, what do you see in this portrait? Curator: You know, it reminds me of pressed flowers in a Victorian album, all faded elegance and quiet stories. It is lovely how the soft focus almost obscures her – as if we're not meant to really *know* her. I am taken with her faraway gaze... makes me think, who was she *really*? Not just on stage, but what dreams did she have tucked away? Did she long for something more? These promotional portraits are tantalizingly staged, aren't they? Like capturing fleeting moments from behind a curtain. Editor: That makes me think about how much is concealed rather than revealed, a performance within a performance. What's your impression of her composure, how she leans so elegantly? Curator: Absolutely. Look at the fan, how it partially shields her...it's a little like she’s using it to hint at an inner life separate from the carefully crafted public image that these cigarette companies were trying to promote. What stories that fan could tell. And the lace...isn't that delicate texture everything? What did clothing like this mean in terms of status, and power, for female performers during this time? Editor: That's a great point, how carefully constructed the image is for consumption. It is a glimpse into a different era of advertising. Curator: And I, as a modern viewer, get caught up in both what she's selling – a product - but also what *she* perhaps wanted to sell: her talent, her dreams. Makes me question how different it is today, really. Editor: I agree, it really makes you wonder about the person behind the image and think about performance versus reality. It gives us plenty to reflect on. Curator: Precisely. Each brushstroke... well, in this case, shutter click...a whisper of a different era. It is more complex the longer you look.