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

Editor: We are looking at "Laura Ball, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes" created by Allen & Ginter between 1885 and 1891. It’s a sepia-toned print, probably a photograph originally, and she is holding back these heavy curtains. The overall feeling is kind of theatrical. What do you make of it? Curator: Immediately, I see how this image uses theatrical drapery not just as a backdrop but as a symbol. The curtains, pulled aside by Laura Ball, suggest a reveal – not only of the actress herself but perhaps of the manufactured nature of celebrity. Think about what she represents: the performative identity of actresses and, by extension, the consumer culture being unveiled at this time. What story do you think this symbolism is communicating? Editor: I hadn't thought about the manufactured aspect of it. So the curtains aren't just curtains; they're signifying the constructed image? Like a peek behind the scenes? Curator: Precisely. And consider that this was a cigarette card. Its distribution connected the ephemeral performance of theatre to an everyday, consumable object. The very act of smoking then becomes connected to the glamorous life, a ritualistic consumption of image. Editor: So the act of smoking almost becomes like consuming her image. Advertising back then was very clever, it seems. I didn’t think I’d be thinking this much about a cigarette card! Curator: It highlights how intertwined commerce and artistry were even back then. What does it tell us about celebrity then and now? We buy into an illusion. Editor: It makes you wonder about the staying power of images and how they continue to influence culture even across time. Thank you. Curator: Absolutely, a lens into the past reflecting our present.