Lillian Russell, from the Actresses series (N246), Type 1, issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sporting Extra Cigarettes 1888 - 1892

This card, from the Actresses series, was produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company to promote their Sporting Extra Cigarettes. It's made of paper, printed with an image of the actress Lillian Russell. The Kinney Brothers were tapping into the rising popularity of both celebrity culture and mass-produced collectibles. The actress cards were a marketing strategy designed to appeal to consumers, promising a slice of fame with every purchase. Consider the amount of work involved in producing these cards: from the cultivation of tobacco, to the photography, printing and distribution of these images. The material itself – a simple piece of cardstock – belies the complex network of labor, commerce, and cultural values that it represents. It reminds us that even the most ephemeral objects can carry significant social meaning, and that so-called 'low' materials like paper, when combined with images of beauty, can have a profound impact on our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.