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

Editor: So, this is "Mlle. Dutramel, from the Actors and Actresses series" made between 1890 and 1895 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. It’s a small albumen print, part of a series used to promote Duke Cigarettes. It has this sepia tone and she has quite an assertive look about her. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The cigarette pack she's holding feels almost like a scepter. It speaks to the evolving role of women in that era, specifically actresses who challenged social norms by entering the public eye, wielding not swords but endorsements. Look at the power dynamics, the brand association, and how it feeds into desires, aspirations, and identity formation. How do you think she is positioning herself with that stance and the raised hand? Editor: That's interesting! The positioning feels both celebratory and almost defiant? Like she's toasting the viewer but also saying, "This is me, take it or leave it." So much power in such a small package, both her image and the cigarettes themselves. Curator: Precisely. Cigarettes, then newly marketed, were coded as symbols of modernity, freedom, and even rebellion, and she becomes a conduit for those values. Do you think there is any subversion in this image or not, and how might this contrast with, say, a painting of a duchess holding a fan? Editor: Hmmm... compared to a duchess and a fan, I'd say absolutely subversive. This is commerce meeting art, challenging notions of high and low culture. Curator: Exactly! The very act of mass-producing and distributing her image democratizes visibility. We can think of this "actress as an object", so, would you say the artistry lies less in the composition but more so in the intention and cultural impact? Editor: Definitely. The artistic merit lies in capturing and distributing an image that broke conventions. I learned a lot from unpacking those loaded symbols.