Miss Rose Sutherland, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1890

This small card featuring Miss Rose Sutherland was made by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as one of a series of collectible cards to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. Photographic printing on paper became an industrial process in the late 19th century, making images like this both affordable and widely accessible. The sepia tone gives the print a soft, warm quality, typical of the era. The surface is smooth, the details are captured with impressive clarity for its size. These cards were essentially miniature advertisements, mass-produced and distributed as part of a larger marketing strategy. The company used images of actresses to appeal to consumers and cultivate brand loyalty, so this seemingly innocent image is deeply embedded in a system of labor, consumption, and promotion. Looking at an artifact like this reminds us that even the most unassuming objects carry rich cultural information, challenging our conventional notions of art and value.