Card Number 201, Goodwin and Johnson, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Editor: Here we have "Card Number 201, Goodwin and Johnson," a promotional print from the 1880s for Cross Cut Cigarettes, published by Duke Sons & Co. It depicts a gentleman getting his shoes shined. It's sepia-toned, and there’s something both quaint and a little…stilted about it. What do you make of it? Curator: The tonal range, achieved via photographic or printing methods, establishes a formal relationship between the figures. The planar composition, dividing the space horizontally and vertically, reinforces the implied social hierarchy. Consider how the towering figure of the gentleman, delineated in darker tones, visually dominates the shoe shiner crouched below. Editor: That power dynamic is immediately clear in the composition, with the gentleman in his top hat quite literally looking down on the shoe shiner. Is that the main story here? Curator: One might suggest that the arrangement’s structure underscores the asymmetrical relationship between the two. Observe how the diagonal line formed by the umbrella draws the eye toward the gentleman’s raised foot, the focal point of this staged interaction. Moreover, the relative scale amplifies his sense of authority. The backdrop adds to the impression that the figures exist as props within the advertisement. What do you see? Editor: It's a brilliant application of formalism! I never considered that the structure itself could dictate so much about the work's content. The gentleman's diagonal umbrella mirroring his line of sight – it's all deliberate. Curator: Indeed. The composition operates as a signifier, redirecting viewers towards an understanding that exceeds representation. These early examples are invaluable for understanding image construction as an industrial practice, and its potential meaning in its design as object.