Marie Halton, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 8) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Curator: My first thought is theatrical, with a sense of playfulness, seeing this image. It's small, intimate in scale, but the subject is posed like she owns the world. Editor: Indeed. What we’re looking at is a photographic print, specifically an albumen print from the series "Actors and Actresses" produced between 1885 and 1891 by Allen & Ginter for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. It’s a portrait of Marie Halton, a performer whose name and image became circulated widely through this commercial context. Curator: The cigarette card format speaks volumes. An actress becomes a collectible object, a small token in a much larger game of consumer culture. I find myself considering how images such as this work their way into our subconscious understanding of celebrity. Editor: Precisely. And the visual language, although ostensibly "portraiture," operates as publicity. These images served a role in constructing celebrity, feeding the public’s imagination and desire. Think about how early Hollywood used portrait photography. Curator: Notice how her costume blends eras? She sports what appears to be an 18th-century inspired hat, juxtaposed with her striped bodice, which adds to the theatricality of it all, giving a hint that she is, above all else, playing a role, as if acknowledging that persona is part artifice. Editor: The backdrop, even if artificial, suggests a specific architectural context, evoking notions of prestige, echoing the theatre set design while hinting at broader narratives surrounding public figures in carefully staged spaces. It elevates what otherwise may simply be advertising. Curator: Looking at it this way helps clarify how we still consume images, layering narratives onto personalities that reflect cultural values and desires. Editor: And what began as advertisement subtly permeated collective memory. Considering images like this, we must remember they did more than merely sell cigarettes, contributing significantly to public life. Curator: It leaves one contemplating the evolving role of photography. Editor: Certainly, something that started off advertising now lives on at the Met.