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

Editor: This is a sepia print from 1890, part of Kinney Brothers' Actresses series to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. It's a portrait of May Mills. What I immediately notice is its dreamlike quality – the soft focus and the gentle tones almost feel like a faded memory. What do you make of this piece? Curator: Faded memory is spot on, actually! The magic of Pictorialism. Back then photography strived for artistic credibility; it wasn’t *just* capturing reality. It aimed for beauty and emotional resonance. Think of it: cigarettes, art, and women – quite the mix! Notice how her gaze is directed *away*? It evokes a sense of mystery, doesn't it? Makes you wonder what she's thinking… dreaming… yearning for? Does this image spark some memories or longing of your own? Editor: It does, actually. There’s a timelessness about it – it could almost be my grandmother in her youth. How much of this was typical for photographs at the time? Curator: This sort of idealized portrayal was quite deliberate. Photography had just barely evolved to become the artistic medium that we have come to embrace, the art form had the opportunity to romanticize portraiture and make something like celebrity endorsements accessible to the average person through these trading cards. By distributing through the Sweet Caporal cigarette brand, Kinney Brothers transformed an actress, Miss May Mills, into a highly valued and recognizable pop-culture commodity, even for a fleeting moment. And *now*, we see how those images have an enduring, lasting impression today. The cigarette industry isn’t usually top of mind when considering lasting works of art! Editor: That's a lot to unpack. From cigarette packs to a place at the Met! It shows that art is found where you least expect it. Thanks for shedding new light on this faded image. Curator: Indeed. It seems that sometimes, art history can come to us through some surprisingly smoky channels! Thanks, that was enlightening for me, too.