Mlle. Debray, Paris, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Gypsy Queen Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

This is a photograph of Mlle. Debray, a Parisian actress, made by Goodwin & Company as part of the Actors and Actresses series for Gypsy Queen Cigarettes. The series reflects a late 19th-century culture infatuated with celebrity, yet also deeply embedded in commercial strategies that reveal societal attitudes toward women and class. Debray, a woman in the public eye, is presented here not through the lens of her artistic talent, but as a collectible object, a symbol of luxury to be consumed along with the cigarettes. The packaging overtly links her image to the 'Gypsy Queen' brand, exoticizing and potentially appropriating Romani culture to add allure. Her demure gaze clashes with the revealing corset, reflecting the tightrope women performers walked between respectability and objectification. Consider the layers of identity—Debray's personal ambition, the brand's commercial needs, and our gaze—all intersecting within this tiny card. What does it mean to see a person reduced to a tradeable image, and how does that reflect ongoing challenges around representation and commodification?