About this artwork
This photograph of Miss De Lorme, part of the Actresses series, was produced by the Wm. S. Kimball & Co. Made on paper using photographic processes, this card was one of many inserted into cigarette packs. This was a cheap, mass-produced form of advertising, capitalizing on celebrity culture and consumerism. The image itself shows an actress, likely posed in a studio, surrounded by exotic plants, a deliberate construction. The sepia tone, typical of early photography, gives the image a nostalgic feel, yet it was thoroughly modern at the time, as photographs could be reproduced endlessly. The card is small and light, an ephemeral object, yet also an artifact of a booming industrial era. Looking at this card, we see not just a pretty picture but also the workings of a complex system of production, labor, and consumption, blurring the lines between art, commerce, and everyday life.
Miss De Lorme, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
1889
William S. Kimball & Company
@williamskimballcompanyThe Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NYArtwork details
- Medium
- drawing, print
- Dimensions
- Sheet: 2 5/8 × 1 3/8 in. (6.6 × 3.5 cm)
- Location
- Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
- Copyright
- Public Domain
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About this artwork
This photograph of Miss De Lorme, part of the Actresses series, was produced by the Wm. S. Kimball & Co. Made on paper using photographic processes, this card was one of many inserted into cigarette packs. This was a cheap, mass-produced form of advertising, capitalizing on celebrity culture and consumerism. The image itself shows an actress, likely posed in a studio, surrounded by exotic plants, a deliberate construction. The sepia tone, typical of early photography, gives the image a nostalgic feel, yet it was thoroughly modern at the time, as photographs could be reproduced endlessly. The card is small and light, an ephemeral object, yet also an artifact of a booming industrial era. Looking at this card, we see not just a pretty picture but also the workings of a complex system of production, labor, and consumption, blurring the lines between art, commerce, and everyday life.
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