Mlle. Rordame, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1890 - 1895

Editor: So, here we have "Mlle. Rordame" from the Actors and Actresses series, printed between 1890 and 1895 by Duke Sons & Co. It’s a photograph, drawing, and print all rolled into one – a cigarette card, meant for mass consumption. It feels surprisingly formal for what it is… what are your thoughts? Curator: Mass consumption, eh? That phrase takes me back! It’s amazing how a fleeting image meant to sell smokes can become a window into a bygone era. I find her gaze so direct, almost defiant, wouldn’t you say? Like she's challenging us across time, “Go on, judge me based on this little rectangle.” What do you make of the theatrical crown and that heavily ornamented costume? Do you get a sense of the specific role she might have been playing? Editor: Hmmm...I see what you mean about her challenging gaze, a bit piercing maybe. I guess I hadn't thought about a specific role for the crown... it just seems a general symbol of stardom. Did these cigarette cards try to be accurate depictions of specific characters, or were they just a kind of aspirational image? Curator: That's the golden question! Sometimes, the details are surprisingly accurate, other times...artistic license, for sure. And of course, the idea was to attach some of her glamour to the product. Smoke our cigarettes, achieve some approximation of fame! But beyond that blatant pitch, it gives me pause... think of all the forgotten faces from the theatre! The images are their legacy, however tangential, a moment preserved. Doesn’t that tug at you? Editor: Absolutely, there is a melancholic beauty there – in a strange way, being on a cigarette card gave her a kind of immortality. It's strange to consider fame's different pathways. Curator: Exactly. Something seemingly frivolous becomes profound. These ephemeral images whisper untold stories, hinting at dreams pursued and sometimes realized... Makes you wonder about the unseen narratives flickering behind our own ubiquitous screens, no?