Lillian Russell, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1890

Editor: This is a fascinating collotype print from 1890 by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. It's a portrait of Lillian Russell, part of their "Actresses" series to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. What strikes me is how the soft focus gives it an almost dreamlike quality, even though it was an advertisement. What’s your take on this piece? Curator: Oh, dreamlike indeed! I'm immediately transported, aren’t you, to a time of opulence and performance. Lillian Russell, the celebrated beauty and actress. Imagine this tucked into a cigarette pack – a little piece of celebrity stardust. It feels very "Aesthetic Movement," that turn towards beauty for its own sake, and you see it right here! It's meant to seduce us, sure, with its soft textures rendered in sepia tones that have aged with grace. This "seduction," tell me, is it successful on you? Editor: Absolutely, in a way I wasn't expecting! The artistry transcends the advertising purpose. And you mentioned the Aesthetic Movement—how does knowing that influence our perception? Curator: It deepens it! Knowing this wasn't *just* commerce, but connected to an artistic impulse, reframes everything. It whispers secrets about the era’s values, what they admired: beauty, fame, accessible luxury, almost fleeting, since cigarettes don't last long! But does that "whisper" reach today's ears effectively? It feels almost distant now... Editor: I think it does, yes! Seeing it in a museum now, detached from the cigarette pack, gives it a new kind of staying power, almost ironic, really. It's lovely to consider the layers of intention and reception throughout time. Curator: Layers are delicious, aren't they? Next time you reach for a pack, maybe think about the ghostly image of Lillian waiting for you... art where you least expect it, that’s my favorite kind! Editor: This was such an illuminating peek into art history, commercialism, and celebrity culture! Thanks so much.