Florence May, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

Editor: Here we have a portrait of Florence May, created between 1886 and 1890 by Goodwin & Company. It’s a print, originally made for Old Judge Cigarettes. What I find striking is the contrast between the seemingly glamorous subject and the quite mundane purpose as an advertisement. How does this tension play out for you? Curator: It’s all about labor and value, isn't it? Consider the physical materials: the paper itself, the inks, and the means of production. This wasn't 'high art' aiming for museum walls. This was mass production, a disposable commodity linked to the booming tobacco industry. How does knowing it was given away in cigarette packs change how we understand this image? Editor: Well, it makes me think about the mass consumption of both the image and the cigarettes. Florence May's image is being circulated and consumed in a very different context compared to, say, a painting displayed in a gallery. Curator: Exactly! The value of the artwork is directly tied to the success of the tobacco brand. It's a fascinating look into the material culture of the time, and the economic systems at play. How does understanding its creation and distribution alter your appreciation of its artistic merit, or lack thereof, if at all? Editor: That's a good question. I suppose I previously viewed it as just an image, divorced from its origins. Now, it’s impossible not to think about the industry that created it and the consumers that received it. The “Old Judge Cigarettes” aspect makes it way more compelling, because I hadn’t considered what its origin says about it as an aesthetic object, and as a material one. Curator: The making of this "image" is as important as what it depicts, yes? These kinds of productions are meant to catch a wandering eye and offer access into aspirational status and pleasure. Next time you pick something up off a shop shelf, try deconstructing that for yourself! Editor: Definitely. Thanks, I'll have to rethink everything.