Florence Baker, Corsair Co., from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Curator: It strikes me immediately – the image practically vibrates with theatrical bravado! Editor: Indeed. Here we have "Florence Baker, Corsair Co.," part of the "Actors and Actresses" series for Virginia Brights Cigarettes, dating roughly from 1885 to 1891. It's a photomontage, printed, like the rest of the set, by Allen & Ginter. The whole point was to sell smokes through associations with stage glamour and even, dare I say, a hint of eroticism. Curator: Yes, it's incredibly bold, isn't it? Her pose – defiant, almost confrontational. And that striking checkered scarf and skirt... it's pure performance. I feel transported backstage. Editor: That’s perceptive. What’s fascinating is thinking about the social context: mass-produced images promoting aspirational lifestyles. The cigarettes, the performer, all intertwined in the budding consumer culture of the late 19th century. One wonders about Baker herself—how this image circulated, who consumed it, and to what ends. Curator: I find it liberating, though—she looks utterly self-possessed, commanding attention. You get the sense she's in on the game, playing with the audience’s expectations, aware of the desire she evokes but ultimately calling the shots. Editor: Perhaps, or perhaps she was simply a cog in a larger system of production. But there is still much more. The photomontage technique, typical of trade cards and cabinet cards of the time, combines photography with elements of printing to create eye-catching advertising. It blurs the boundaries of art, commercialism, and popular entertainment. These tobacco cards speak to a time of rising stars and the burgeoning market where such figures could move product with nothing more than an image. Curator: To imagine this tiny card travelling in someone's pocket—it's almost like a secret, a miniature emblem of rebellion tucked away. Editor: Well, whether a secret or a highly circulated, manipulative image, it serves as a reminder that what we now frame as 'art' operated then under the sign of labor, industry and salesmanship. Curator: Exactly! A complex tapestry of desires, performance, and a darn good smoke! Editor: A heady brew, indeed!