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

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

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drawing, print, photography

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portrait

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drawing

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print

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photography

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historical photography

Dimensions: Sheet: 2 1/2 × 1 7/16 in. (6.4 × 3.7 cm)

Copyright: Public Domain

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!

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