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

Curator: Oh, isn’t this curious? I find myself almost immediately disarmed. Something about the vulnerability of the subject, captured so plainly in sepia tones, it pulls you right in. Editor: Indeed. We’re looking at a portrait of Irene Perry, an actress from the late 19th century, specifically, sometime between 1886 and 1890. This image comes from a series called "Actors and Actresses" created by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes. Curator: Cigarettes, you say? That certainly shifts my perspective. It's not just a candid shot, but an advertisement. Does knowing that change my reading? A little, perhaps. Now I see it almost as performance... the performativity of beauty, commerce, even self. And her hands almost frame her, directing the eye… Editor: Exactly. Cigarette cards were immensely popular, and they played a significant role in shaping perceptions of beauty, fame, and the burgeoning entertainment industry. We must acknowledge that the consumption of images like this intertwined with larger narratives of gender and class. Consider who was smoking these cigarettes, who was given the right to have leisure, and at whose expense this supposed leisure was enjoyed. Curator: Yes, a sobering thought. Still, her eyes, there is something challenging, rebellious almost. As if to say, "I know what game you're playing." There's a quiet defiance…or am I projecting? Perhaps it’s merely the actress gazing outward in the gaze required by early photography—but somehow, there seems something beyond just sitting pretty for the lens. Editor: Well, I'm glad you said that. It reminds me that early photography has always had an aspect of resistance, a way of preserving dignity and autonomy, even for marginalized subjects. It has the capacity to immortalize figures, and immortalizing queer performers, Indigenous figures, women... it challenges a lot of traditional notions around whose image matters. Curator: So true. This little piece of ephemera suddenly feels quite weighty. The contrast is amazing, right? You know, how something designed to be tossed away now gives us insight into a time long gone… I just can't shake off this sensation that Perry had a sly intelligence about her. Editor: Precisely. Even these "minor" artifacts offer so much insight. Let's appreciate how an actress's pose on a tiny, disposable card prompts us to examine power dynamics. What begins as something cute becomes so politically relevant—it gives us a great way to understand that era!