Mlle. Roman, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1890

Curator: Looking at this sepia-toned card, what feelings does it conjure for you? Editor: It's funny, it makes me want to write a letter! There's something very gentle and poised about it. Nostalgic for a time I never lived through, but also faintly melancholic, you know? What is it, exactly? Curator: It's part of the "Actresses" series from around 1890, produced by Kinney Brothers as promotional inserts for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. This particular one depicts Mlle. Roman. Editor: Oh! That explains some of it. I like how casual, yet deliberate, it feels for an advertisement. The actress is kind of slumped over the piano bench in a full gown, head cocked a little too far in one direction, with those sheets of music overflowing on the keyboard and an indoor plant balanced precariously above everything...there’s something endearingly offbeat about it all. I am curious what did this actress do for living? And was the purpose of adding women like Mlle. Roman in these promotional materials? Curator: The purpose was straightforward: association. Cigarettes, aimed increasingly at a broad public, adopted tactics that borrowed respectability, celebrity, and aspiration. Mlle. Roman herself would have been a working actress, maybe someone well known, maybe not. Including women created more brand appeal. Editor: Marketing is definitely strange. I think for today's world some can consider this photography problematic. But her expression—it’s not coy or flirtatious. Just kind of... tired? Even with a light fabric around her shoulder. It would make more sense for a musician or even an owner of an antique house to me. What’s really striking is the quiet dignity in her weariness. I'd almost want to offer her a cup of tea. Curator: You've got a poet's soul! It’s really interesting what catches your eye. For me, knowing its place within popular visual culture of the time frames the image entirely differently. These were mass-produced, cheap things, but they shaped perceptions about acting as a profession and beauty standards. Editor: Huh. Okay, context definitely adds another layer. Even though it's sepia toned—almost ghostly in color—it makes a connection to the way products use "aspirational" imagery now. Well, as with a great artist—I am pleased we touched on deeper meaning today. Thank you! Curator: Likewise! The pleasures of contextualization for all!