Actress wearing pink fez, from Stars of the Stage, First Series (N129) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1890

Curator: Here we have an advertising trade card from 1890, part of a series titled "Stars of the Stage," issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco. This one features an actress wearing a striking pink fez. Editor: It's fascinating. The details in her outfit against the simple backdrop draw your eye, especially the ornamental textures achieved in print. Curator: Exactly! Notice how the dots create the overall picture and are crucial for shading and the material impression. The dress, with its fringe, catches the light due to the use of varied color and density. Editor: The fez is a very interesting choice of headwear, in that the shape and tassel speak of specific cultural codes and historical narratives beyond its use on the "stage". We can trace the fez as an important symbol of Ottoman modernization and Westernization—in some cases, a signal of rebellion in others, like the Greek and Balkan uprisings. How intriguing for it to show up here, in popular entertainment ephemera. Curator: The layering is what holds my gaze. From the light touches defining her face to the textured, almost tactile feel of the clothing, the structure leads you in. Her slightly averted gaze invites closer inspection, further drawing us to her features, to that bright spot of color and culture sitting jauntily on her head. Editor: Definitely a conscious choice to tap into the exotic allure that such a hat could provide for Western audiences at the time. It conjures up a rich mix of fantasy, otherness and historical references. Also, if you consider trade cards as the ancestors of magazine advertisements, there's always some subliminal narrative being communicated. Curator: Indeed! We find it compelling as this compact image manages to capture not only a portrait, but also a snapshot of broader cultural fantasies being marketed to the public. It's a remarkable intersection of portraiture and print work. Editor: I completely agree. This simple image opens up vast windows into its cultural context, showing a portrait but evoking far larger trends, long gone but living now.