Card Number 9, Lester, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-1) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Editor: This is "Card Number 9, Lester, from the Actors and Actresses series," an albumen print dating to the 1880s by W. Duke, Sons & Co. I'm struck by how the sepia tones and staged backdrop give it a theatrical quality. What are your thoughts? Curator: It's fascinating to consider these trade cards within the context of burgeoning consumer culture and gender performativity. How does the figure of "Lester," likely a female actor, disrupt or reinforce Victorian-era social norms? Editor: Disrupt? In what way? Curator: Well, the image presents a female figure embodying a traditionally masculine role through costume and pose. Consider how these mass-produced images contributed to the visibility and, potentially, the acceptance of gender fluidity within the public sphere. What can you observe about the clothing itself? Editor: It looks like stage attire: elaborate, perhaps intentionally exaggerated. Is that designed to make the representation "safe" for audiences? Curator: Precisely. The theatrical context acts as a kind of buffer, allowing for exploration of gender roles while maintaining a safe distance from everyday realities. Furthermore, what’s the relationship between this image, advertising, and the construction of celebrity? Duke used her image to promote cigarettes; in doing so, wasn’t she becoming an object of consumer desire? Editor: That's a point I hadn’t fully considered. It’s not just about representation, but commodification as well. I guess I see that commercial aspect now; her persona as a thing to be consumed. Curator: Absolutely. This small card unlocks conversations about labor, performance, gender and the ways visual culture shaped and continues to shape our understanding of identity.