Alice Hart, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: At first glance, this reminds me of a backstage pass. There’s something intimate yet also carefully staged about it. Curator: You're quite right to pick up on that theatrical air. This is a photograph of Alice Hart, part of the "Actors and Actresses" series, printed between 1885 and 1891 by Allen & Ginter as promotional inserts for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. Editor: So, instantly the meaning shifts when we consider its original function. Tobacco advertising using photographs–the material culture of consumption at work! What were these prints made of and how widely were they distributed? Curator: They were printed on card stock, likely using albumen prints for the photographs. Given Allen & Ginter’s scale of operation, the distribution would have been vast, reaching a diverse public who suddenly became collectors of these celebrity portraits. Editor: It's fascinating to think of how mass production techniques allowed these images to circulate and become almost democratized. In that moment it transforms what could have been precious objects for an elite few to popular items. And look at Hart’s costume – clearly styled for performance. I wonder who designed it? Curator: Exactly. It really calls into question the artistic labor involved in this type of image-making. Who selected her wardrobe? Who was involved in setting up the image? Where does Alice's own agency figure in this final product? Editor: Right, we have the labor of Alice Hart, of course, in posing for the picture. Her work as an actress gets abstracted into this flat image that, by association, is supposed to add value to a cigarette. But it also reminds me of other popular imagery and collectible series, so it might also have value outside its original context. Curator: These images create and perpetuate celebrity culture, don’t they? We see how promotional strategies help construct and reinforce social values around glamour and performance. What was perceived as "beauty" in that era. Editor: It prompts us to rethink photography's role. It is not merely a medium of personal expression but a manufactured commodity, part of a network where art, commerce, and social representation entwine to dictate the culture in general. Curator: Precisely. Examining the materials and the distribution process sheds light on its power dynamics. Editor: Indeed, something as seemingly ephemeral as a cigarette card offers an intriguing lens through which to examine the culture of its time.