Josie A. Hall, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

Editor: Here we have a portrait of Josie A. Hall, made between 1886 and 1890 by Goodwin & Company, part of their Actors and Actresses series for Old Judge Cigarettes. It looks like a print based on a drawing. There's a faded, almost dreamlike quality to the image. What captures your attention when you look at it? Curator: Well, initially, it’s that magnificent hat! Isn't it wonderfully absurd? Imagine perching that on your head! It speaks to the performative nature of celebrity even back then, a carefully constructed image for public consumption. And consider its origin: a cigarette card. How ephemeral, and yet here it is, preserved. Do you think the context of its creation influences our perception? Editor: I suppose it does. Knowing it was essentially an advertisement changes how I think about the portraiture, like it was less about art and more about branding. But how do we reconcile that with it being displayed in the Met today? Curator: Exactly! It forces us to confront ideas of value, doesn't it? Something made for fleeting commercial purposes now held as culturally significant. The democratization of art, perhaps? It's accessible, collectable... and a window into a bygone era. But looking at her, at Josie A. Hall herself, what do *you* imagine about her life, her performances, beyond the posed image? Editor: I picture a strong, ambitious woman. Stage actresses were some of the few women back then in the workforce who really had some visibility and self-determination. Looking at this portrait, it strikes me that we can only know so much about her – an actress known for her talents in some contexts, but now existing only as a token for a cigarette brand in another. Curator: Absolutely! A wisp of smoke, a flash of performance, captured, faded, but somehow, still telling a story. Editor: That’s fascinating – from cigarette card to museum piece, our conversation really turned it on its head for me. Thanks!