Mlle. Bever, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 8) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: This is "Mlle. Bever," a gelatin-silver print with coloured pencil touches, created by Allen & Ginter between 1885 and 1891. It reminds me of a vintage photograph, delicate and posed. What draws your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: The figure of Mlle. Bever, likely a performer, offers a powerful lens to examine the construction of femininity and spectacle in the late 19th century. It prompts the questions, “Who was she performing for, and at what cost?” Consider this card's context—distributed with Virginia Brights Cigarettes. It served to associate the product with glamour, but it also commodified female artistry. What do you make of that relationship? Editor: I hadn't considered the commodification aspect so directly. It's a clever way to see how cigarettes are tied to these alluring portraits. So, you're saying her image, while seemingly celebratory, also represents a subtle form of exploitation? Curator: Precisely. This photograph can serve as a starting point for discussing larger issues such as female representation, the gaze, and the burgeoning consumer culture of the era. It is impossible to discuss such piece without reference to how power works and through whose agency. Editor: That’s fascinating. I initially saw a pretty portrait, but now I'm considering the underlying dynamics of commerce and representation. Curator: These ephemeral objects often reveal far more about the society that produced and consumed them than initially meets the eye. They encourage us to challenge historical narratives and reveal how meaning and power are constructed in intersectional ways. Editor: It definitely changes how I see this piece and others like it. Thank you.