Mlle. Bertine, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 8) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: Here we have "Mlle. Bertine," a vintage photographic print, part of the "Actors and Actresses" series by Allen & Ginter, dating back to 1885-1891. I find her gaze so direct, almost challenging given the ornate orientalist setting, what's your initial reaction? Curator: My initial reaction is… bewilderment! What’s a French actress doing nestled within what is perceived to be the height of oriental fashion? It's a wonderfully unsettling clash of cultures and perceptions! She isn’t blending in, she is embodying, almost mocking! It prompts the question: Whose fantasy are we actually witnessing? Editor: Mocking? Tell me more about that! Curator: The Japonisme craze in the late 19th century was, let's be honest, often a shallow appropriation. Placing a Western subject within that context feels like poking fun at the whole phenomenon. Her stance is so studied and performed. Do you think this theatricality draws attention to that? Editor: I suppose. It's hard to ignore that knowing that these were trade cards for Virginia Brights Cigarettes, so that must have factored in somewhere. Was this kind of 'cultural dress-up' a common sales tactic then? Curator: Precisely! Sensationalism sold cigarettes as much as nicotine did. This image then sits within a grand, albeit problematic, tradition of commodifying exoticism, but done with what I consider a sardonic wink. The photograph uses "cultural dress-up" as its strategy. This element elevates what would otherwise have been straightforward advertising. It certainly got us talking about it today! Editor: Absolutely, and I now see so much more than just an actress in costume. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! Always wonderful to pull apart these beautiful puzzles, and let our understanding morph!