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

Editor: This is Mde. Rosi, a photographic print dating from the 1890s. It's part of the "Actors and Actresses" series, published by Duke Sons & Co. It feels so ephemeral and dreamy, like a captured moment from a forgotten performance. What grabs you when you look at this? Curator: The sepia tone just pulls you in, doesn't it? It’s like peering into a memory. I see ambition here, captured in a time when celebrity was being manufactured, distributed, consumed – just like Duke cigarettes. These cards were inserted into cigarette packs… talk about merging pleasure and aspiration. It's marketing genius with a dash of dreamy portraiture. What do you make of her pose? Editor: I see confidence, almost flirtatiousness. She's a performer, and she knows how to work the camera. But do you think there's something deeper there, maybe beyond the promotional aspect? Curator: Absolutely! Beneath the marketing, there’s a palpable humanity. She's not just selling cigarettes; she's selling a dream. And that’s where the artistry comes in. Imagine being handed one of these while lighting up. You're not just buying tobacco, you're holding a piece of the performance, of Rosi's world, her story frozen in this one tiny photograph. It's the beginning of mass media dreams, bottled and sold one pack at a time. It’s quite powerful, don’t you think? Editor: It definitely reframes my perception. I initially saw it as a simple advertisement, but now I see the cultural significance and how it intertwines art, commerce, and the very beginnings of celebrity culture. Thanks for that! Curator: My pleasure. Sometimes, the most profound statements are whispered in the ephemera. Now, about those cigarettes… just kidding!