Vina Glover, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 7) for Dixie Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: Here we have a piece titled "Vina Glover, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 7) for Dixie Cigarettes," dating roughly from 1885 to 1891, by Allen & Ginter. It appears to be an albumen print. It has definitely seen better days. I notice right away the damage--those almost coffee-looking stains. The figure itself, though, has such a composed expression. What captures your attention most about this piece? Curator: The beauty, naturally, shines through the stains of time, doesn't it? The sitter, Vina Glover, seems to emanate a fragile sort of elegance. Looking at her posture, there is almost a dream-like quality; yet, those intelligent, observant eyes bring us directly into the scene, into HER world. Knowing it's part of a cigarette card series—aren’t those odd pairings wonderful?— what does that say to you about fame and portraiture during this time, say, in terms of commerce, or… posterity? Editor: It's interesting to consider it as almost a disposable image meant to build brand awareness now housed in the Met! Almost like a Victorian-era meme, but designed for advertisement, and ultimately for collecting. I’m wondering if Allen & Ginter was intentionally making art that would elevate Dixie Cigarettes or perhaps using the cigarettes to get their art to a wider audience. It really plays with how we view value and celebrity, doesn’t it? Curator: Precisely! Think of the circulation! Long before the internet, companies were inserting allure – glimpses of beauty and culture - directly into daily life. These cards suggest that fame, or at least recognition, was something to be collected, traded, and even...smoked! That perhaps a "better" class of person smokes our cigarettes, haha! These trivial pairings could bring one into contact with the fine arts… Editor: That’s given me a lot to chew on, particularly thinking about the ideas of disposability and commercial value versus artistic merit and accessibility. Curator: And for me, I'm pondering how an object intended to be ephemeral, survives, changed, aged by light and liquids – much like Glover, perhaps! It asks so much about performance, literally, and of ourselves, right now, standing here, trying to grasp a woman who simply was an object to behold by people seeking only a nicotine rush… or, hopefully, a sense of grace.