Mlle. Berthe Baret, Paris, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Gypsy Queen Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

Curator: This delicate image is a trade card dating from 1886 to 1890, advertising Gypsy Queen Cigarettes. It features Mlle. Berthe Baret, an actress in Paris at the time. These were part of the "Actors and Actresses" series produced by Goodwin & Company. Editor: She looks so... demure. Almost melancholic, doesn’t she? A touch of that wistful beauty the camera just seemed to love back then. There's this beautiful curve to her face in profile, the hair piled loosely... but that cigarette brand name looming up above! A contradiction in terms. Curator: Exactly! The post-impressionist aesthetic is interesting here, it elevates what's essentially advertising. We often forget the intertwined relationship between commerce, celebrity culture and artistic production. These cards offered brands wide exposure, but they also captured glimpses of popular culture at a specific moment in history, a record that transcends advertising itself. Editor: The slightly faded quality enhances that feeling – like finding a half-forgotten memento tucked away in a drawer. What do you think it meant to include theatre personalities, even somewhat obscure ones, in these collections? Curator: The insertion of these figures tapped into the romantic image of bohemian lifestyle and its intersection with the emerging celebrity culture in cities such as Paris or London at this time. For Gypsy Queen, I would argue it suggested sophistication and perhaps even a touch of worldly naughtiness to their customers, and an interesting alternative to the often macho imagery used to promote Tobacco at this point in its cultural trajectory. Editor: Fascinating. It gives me an unexpected sympathy for both the actress and the unseen smoker holding that card in their hand all those years ago! Curator: Indeed. The small format amplifies this feeling of intimacy and gives the object power in shaping collective cultural imagery.