Mlle. Muller, Paris, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

This is a promotional card for Old Judge Cigarettes, featuring Mlle. Muller, a Parisian actress, made by Goodwin & Company, sometime between 1850 and 1950. These cards, common in the late 19th century, offer a glimpse into the world of entertainment and advertising, but they also reveal a more complex picture of gender and representation. Mlle. Muller is presented here as an object of desire, her image carefully constructed to appeal to male consumers. Yet, she was also a performer, an artist in her own right, navigating the constraints and opportunities of her time. Her gaze is averted, and her body is on display, inviting questions about agency and exploitation. What was her own experience of being seen, of being commodified? This card invites us to consider the power dynamics inherent in the act of looking, and how those dynamics are shaped by gender, class, and the marketplace. What does it mean to be an artist, a woman, a commodity, all at once?