Card Number 318, Miss Reynolds, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

Editor: This is "Card Number 318, Miss Reynolds" from the Actors and Actresses series, dating back to the 1880s. It’s a promotional print by Duke Sons & Co. for their Cameo Cigarettes. I'm struck by how this image romanticizes the idea of the female actress. How do we begin to unpack its historical context? Curator: That's a keen observation. It's important to situate these trade cards within the rise of consumer culture and advertising in the late 19th century. What narratives do you think this particular card constructs about femininity and performance? Editor: I think that she is portrayed with soft features, looking quite gentle. I can’t help but wonder if there is some intended link between the actress and the cigarette brand… Curator: Precisely! Consider the targeted demographic – likely male consumers. The card leverages Miss Reynolds' celebrity and feminine appeal to sell a product. What do you think this says about the commodification of women, particularly actresses, at that time? How is she reduced to her image? Editor: It feels as though she is part of an aesthetic package deal that you acquire when you buy the cigarettes. What did she even have to say about that? It feels dehumanizing in some ways. Curator: Exactly. We also see Japonisme’s influence, then a craze, and how Western culture embraced it. These cards offered glimpses into a world of beauty and celebrity, but always served a clear purpose of driving sales. Editor: It's eye-opening to think about how even seemingly innocuous images like this reveal so much about gender, labor, and consumerism in the 19th century. I never thought of the advertising on a cigarette card that way! Curator: Indeed! This is where art history intersects with social history. By interrogating these visual cues and the context around the production of these works, we get a clearer sense of not only our past but of ourselves.