Louise Paullin, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

Curator: Oh, look at this! We've got a carte-de-visite here featuring Louise Paullin, dating from about 1886 to 1890. It's one of the portraits in the Actors and Actresses series, produced by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes. A genuine artifact of advertising, you know. Editor: Isn’t it quirky? She’s captured mid-gesture, looks like she’s about to toss something. It feels so unstilted and rather… dare I say… modern? There's something playful in the pose, even though it’s a formal portrait of sorts. Curator: Yes, these albumen prints were meant to be collected, traded. They are essentially trading cards. You know, cigarettes were heavily advertised through these kinds of celebrity endorsements back then, boosting the popularity of actors while also making smoking seem rather glamorous. Editor: It does present an odd kind of aspirational quality, linking celebrity with a commercial product. It's strange now, but I guess that's advertising, twisting reality a little! What's with the getup she has on? It seems a bit off-kilter. Curator: The theatrical costume helps construct the image. The idea was to capture the actor in their famous persona. The photograph gives an illusion of intimacy while really promoting consumerism, it also contributed to image-making of celebrity culture. Editor: She seems very matter-of-fact in how she looks out. Do you get the sense she has agency, or is it a false impression considering the commercial backdrop? Maybe it’s just me projecting backwards. Curator: Well, such printed cards were a part of an extensive media landscape and photographic market where ideas and images had great power, for sure. Editor: Yes, seeing these cards provides a tactile link to late 19th-century entertainment and marketing. And now, it’s encased in the Met’s collection for audiences, viewers like you and I, to witness. Curator: Exactly. These tiny paper icons tell enormous tales about us, our past. And it fits comfortably into today’s image-dominated existence. Food for thought.