Verona Jarbeau, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 8) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Curator: Looking at this image, it feels so immediate. It’s of Verona Jarbeau, part of the “Actors and Actresses” series created by Allen & Ginter for Virginia Brights Cigarettes, dating from 1885 to 1891. I wonder, what's your take on it? Editor: It has such an ethereal quality. I’m instantly drawn to her gaze, kind of lifted and hopeful. It’s also kind of sad, you know? Maybe because the colours are so muted like a sepia-toned dream. And to think it was given away with cigarettes... such a strange life. Curator: Absolutely, let's consider that. Allen & Ginter cleverly used photomechanical prints, embedding art within everyday consumption. These trade cards blurred high and low culture, leveraging celebrity to sell tobacco. The mass-produced object as a vehicle for, dare I say, "art". Editor: True, it brings to light how art gets distributed to different folks at different prices! I can picture some dapper gentleman in a smoky parlor, casually flipping through these, maybe not even thinking much about Ms. Jarbeau, while for others it might be the closest they get to ‘art’. Also, I'm guessing Jarbeau received a modest sum at best to pose? Curator: Precisely. We need to question the labour relations inherent in the image itself. What was Jarbeau paid? How many hours? What were the working conditions of the people producing the prints? Editor: You know, those lace details of her gown contrast against such stark business practices. Also, what really sticks out for me is how it freezes a specific moment of cultural relevance... Jarbeau. Gone. Virginia Brights. Gone. This little card a time capsule! Curator: A powerful observation, yes! Allen & Ginter didn’t just capture an image; they packaged an aspiration, embedding it within networks of production, consumption, and circulation. Each card signified participation in this economic system. Editor: That makes me reflect on how our modern consumption still depends on someone else's labor and vision... with what's valued? What's not? Hmmm. Curator: These images, intended as fleeting distractions, provoke lasting reflection on commerce, art, and visibility itself. Editor: And for me it reminds me to consider where dreams and labor meet, maybe in that very breath held to pose for this cigarette-add tied image!