Mae Powers, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1890

"Mae Powers," from the Actresses series, is a sepia-toned photograph by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, featuring the actress Mae Powers. Part of a larger series of cards promoting Sweet Caporal cigarettes, it depicts Powers in a light-colored dress, standing casually by a chair. The card is a small, rectangular image, printed on thin paper, and is a testament to the widespread use of trading cards in the late 19th century, a time when cigarettes were becoming increasingly popular in the US. The card is now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, highlighting the historical significance of these seemingly simple objects.