Lady Alphonsene, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Editor: So, this is "Lady Alphonsene" from the Actresses series by Wm. S. Kimball & Co., dating back to 1889. It's a small print, probably a photograph originally. I find it quite glamorous but also slightly…odd, maybe because it’s also an advertisement? How should we interpret it? Curator: This is an intriguing object because it's so clearly embedded within the popular culture and marketing strategies of its time. Actresses, then as now, held considerable public fascination, and their images were highly marketable. These types of cigarette cards became a form of early advertising, trading on the popularity and image of these women. How do you see the setting contributing to its "oddness," as you called it? Editor: Well, the somewhat staged, artificial-looking backdrop. The actress’s costume…it's theatrical, not exactly everyday attire. And the way “CIGARETTES” is just plastered on the bottom. It's like high and low culture colliding? Curator: Exactly! That juxtaposition is precisely what makes these cards interesting historical documents. Consider the intended audience. Who was buying these cigarettes and collecting these cards? Working-class men, primarily. What fantasies or aspirations might an image like this have evoked for them? Was it about refined entertainment, access to a certain class, or perhaps a more overt form of desire? Editor: So it's not just about art, it's about commerce and societal desires. It gives you a look into what was considered attractive, aspirational, maybe even slightly scandalous at the time. A peek into that world. Curator: Precisely. And this reveals how visual media, even something as seemingly insignificant as a cigarette card, actively participates in shaping our understanding of beauty, gender, and social standing. We are really seeing the politics of imagery on display here. Editor: I see it differently now! Thanks. Curator: Likewise; your initial reaction really focused us.