Mlle. Leroux, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This small card featuring Mlle. Leroux was printed by Wm. S. Kimball & Co., a cigarette manufacturer in the late 19th-century United States. Part of a series depicting actresses, it reflects a burgeoning celebrity culture and the commercialization of the female image. The photograph presents Leroux in what would have been considered a daring bathing suit, complete with an umbrella and towel. These details, combined with the 'actress' label, hint at a playful transgression of social norms. Yet, the card's primary function was to sell cigarettes. The image flirts with notions of female independence while simultaneously serving as a marketing tool within a male-dominated industry. Understanding this image requires us to delve into the economic and social landscape of the time. Archival research into advertising history and the performing arts would reveal more about the complex interplay of gender, commerce, and entertainment in late 19th-century America.