Clara Thropp, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: This is a small print from between 1885 and 1891 by Allen & Ginter, part of the "Actors and Actresses" series. It features Clara Thropp in soft focus, seemingly caught in a moment of quiet contemplation. It's…interesting, that an actress is the subject of cigarette advertisement. What's your take on a piece like this? Curator: The collision of art, celebrity, and commerce is really the key here. Tobacco cards, like this one, were essentially miniature advertisements, exploiting popular interest in performers such as Clara Thropp. Do you notice the Japonisme influence through soft focus? These cards played a significant role in shaping celebrity culture and linking it to consumerism. What's intriguing is how photography was beginning to infiltrate everyday life, but still mimicking painterly techniques, right? Editor: It’s strange to think about it now, but back then these cards were distributed with cigarettes, essentially turning them into collectible items promoting smoking and idolizing actresses. Almost seems contradictory. Curator: Precisely. Consider the message being sent: glamour, sophistication, and tobacco use were subtly intertwined. But also consider who collected them; men. It reinforces a kind of male gaze that existed in that era in which women entertainers were largely regarded as sexual objects of pleasure. Where do you see Japonisme affecting the piece? Editor: That's dark. I think it’s subtle, mostly in the soft focus that emulates Ukiyo-e prints and their flattening of depth and the celebration of the transient in such media. Curator: Indeed. Allen & Ginter weren't just selling cigarettes; they were selling aspirations, social status, and idealized figures like Clara Thropp. These cards provided a sense of prestige and aspiration that was carefully crafted for a specific audience, showing an early convergence of social structures and economic aspirations. Editor: That's a powerful reminder of how intertwined art and commerce were, even back then, and the subtle ways that ideology gets encoded in mass-produced images. It's really unsettling to see celebrity used in this manipulative context. Curator: Absolutely. And that's something we need to unpack even today, looking at contemporary art's role in shaping the society.