Varonia, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: This is "Varonia, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes," created sometime between 1885 and 1891 by Allen & Ginter. It’s currently held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I’m really struck by how this feels both staged and intimate, a peek into a world long gone. What's your interpretation of this image? Curator: Oh, that's a tasty paradox, isn't it? Staged and intimate...like catching someone mid-curtsy backstage while they think no one is looking. What I see here is a carefully constructed illusion. Allen & Ginter weren’t just selling cigarettes; they were selling aspirations. Varonia, whoever she was, becomes a symbol of elegance and entertainment, packaged to entice. What does her gesture say to you? Is she summoning you closer? Editor: Maybe! Or waving someone away. It's ambiguous. And the text makes it clear that it's an advertisement, though she looks more artistic than commercial. What kind of statement do you think Allen and Ginter were trying to make here, about women and about theater, perhaps? Curator: You know, those tobacco cards were small portals into different realms, right? A little glimpse into vaudeville or baseball. The implication, I suppose, is that the life of actresses - of Varonia here - could be obtained for the cost of a packet. The portrait, sepia toned, is soft, delicate and romanticized, don't you think? It transforms this actress into a figure that both the men and women of the time wanted to emulate, projecting the possibility of such life with tobacco use. Quite ironic now, right? Editor: Definitely. Thinking about the soft aesthetic versus the harmful product, it makes you wonder about the power of images to persuade. It highlights how our understanding of icons changes with time, though. Thank you. Curator: The pleasure was all mine! Another mystery unveiled! Or perhaps merely teased…until next time, Editor!