Card Number 732, Ada Webb, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-3) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Editor: Here we have "Card Number 732, Ada Webb, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-3)" from the 1880s. It was issued by Duke Sons & Co. as an advertisement for Cross Cut Cigarettes. The work includes drawing, print, and photography. What immediately strikes me is the seemingly contradictory image of Ada Webb and the text advertising cigarettes, especially since the image borders on the nude. What can you tell me about this photograph? Curator: That’s an incisive observation. This image exists within a complex web of social and economic forces. In the late 19th century, the burgeoning tobacco industry used images of actresses to promote their products. Consider how Ada Webb’s pose, teetering between empowerment and vulnerability, intersects with the commodification of women in advertising. Editor: So, is this a celebration of the female form, or exploitation? Curator: It's both, and neither. The photograph must be viewed as part of an exploitative economic system. Images like these created a public fascination with actresses, increasing their popularity, while reinforcing normative standards for feminine beauty and behavior. The female body becomes a site for consumer capitalism. Who is she outside this advertisement, what power did she truly wield? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. It is disturbing to consider this from Ada Webb's perspective. Curator: Precisely. Think about the other images of women in that time. What narratives do they support or undermine? It is crucial to recognize the historical context surrounding gender, class, and labor, in order to unpack what this photograph reveals about power dynamics. Editor: I see now how this photograph captures many tensions. It encourages us to ask probing questions about gender roles, the objectification of women, and how businesses promote their products, making it a lot more interesting. Thank you! Curator: The pleasure was all mine. Examining such seemingly simple artworks can be an exercise in revealing complicated truths.