Annie Summerville, Corsair Co., from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 6) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Curator: This is "Annie Summerville, Corsair Co." Part of the "Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 6)" for Virginia Brights Cigarettes, dating from 1885-1891. It’s an albumen print. Editor: My first thought? She looks like she's about to give someone a very important instruction, maybe about how to correctly hold a drink. There’s something slightly theatrical, and humorous to me about her gesture. Curator: The 'Corsair Co.' refers to a theatre company. These cards were actually collectible inserts in cigarette packs. Advertising evolved; these trading cards are an interesting turn. Editor: Imagine finding that! Like a little backstage pass in your pack of Virginia Brights. Though she seems less stage pirate and more saloon proprietress with that no-nonsense expression. She certainly exudes a can-do attitude. I wonder, do you suppose it reflects how women performers had to navigate a man's world back then? Curator: Absolutely, her posture reads of controlled autonomy and determination, but to answer that question properly you need to see the entire series. They built brands by cultivating idealized images of feminine persona, mixing social reality and the aspirations of its viewers. Editor: Right! There's a power dynamic here, this photograph flirts with those notions. Annie seems simultaneously aware of her own agency, and her market value. But on the flipside, there is a bit of play happening here. I see humour in her outfit, I see someone claiming the spectacle as their own. Curator: Exactly, you see the push and pull that would certainly be at play, in how images like this were created and consumed. Editor: The print really holds something special, all that in a tiny photograph meant to be consumed and discarded? Incredible. Curator: It makes us reconsider such ephemeral cultural objects. Editor: Couldn’t agree more! It definitely sparked more ideas in a very small package than I expected.