Miss Willet, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Curator: Here we have "Miss Willet," one entry from the "Actresses" series (N203) produced by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. around 1889. These cards were originally included in cigarette packs. Editor: My first impression is of faded glamour. There's a softness to the charcoal drawing and the tones are monochromatic. You almost lose the figure within the aged paper. Curator: Exactly. It speaks to the fleeting nature of fame, doesn't it? Actresses, celebrated one moment, fading from public memory. The image itself carries that history; the aging of the card echoes the aging of Miss Willet's legacy. Editor: The framing is interesting, the crop feels intentional. The name of the company, so bold at the bottom, gives the impression of product being prioritised over art. Even though we're discussing its artistic merits, it's primary goal was to advertise cigarettes. Curator: True, yet these cards became cherished collectibles, mini-portraits of ideal womanhood for the late 19th-century. The symbols of status are subtle – the large hat with feather trim and floral embellishments. It projects an image of refined beauty. The actress's portrait, distributed so widely, created a collective vision of aspiration. Editor: But even the texture contributes. It's not just about the image, but the rough surface, the potential for damage. It feels worn, touched, less like an idealized painting in a grand frame, but rather more intimate in scale and feeling. Curator: A democratization of art, of sorts. This print offered an accessible image of celebrity and femininity, embedded within a everyday product. In effect, this item served as a material reminder of desires circulating throughout society. Editor: Yes, the intrinsic beauty within something ephemeral that we have attributed a new aesthetic value to. Curator: Precisely. What began as advertisement reveals so much more about cultural values of its time.