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

This is Flora Walsh, from the Actresses series (N245), a promotional image issued by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. These cards, included in packs of Sweet Caporal Cigarettes, reflect the cultural landscape of the late 19th century. Flora Walsh, an actress of the time, is depicted in what appears to be Western attire. Here we find ourselves at an intersection of entertainment, advertising, and evolving gender roles. Actresses like Walsh were becoming increasingly visible figures, challenging conventional ideas of femininity. These images were consumed by a public eager for both entertainment and new social norms, but also highlight the commercialization of identity through advertising. The card captures Walsh in a performative guise, and as such invites us to reflect on the act of ‘dressing up’ and the making of stereotypes. These photographs served not only to promote cigarettes, but also to shape perceptions of women in a rapidly changing society.