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

This is a promotional image of Louise Valentine, made by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. It's a small printed card, intended to be collected. Though it might seem a world away from craft, think about the industrial processes involved here. First, the photograph of the actress, taken with a heavy camera and glass plate negatives. Then, the printing process itself, using inks and a mechanical press. These were the tools of mass media at the time, churning out images that helped to create celebrity culture. The card's small size made it cheap to produce and easy to distribute within cigarette packs. It was a brilliant marketing strategy, associating glamour with a highly addictive product. But behind the scenes, consider the factory workers operating the machinery, their labor fueling the very system that created images like this one. So, even in this seemingly simple card, we see the complex interplay of craft, industry, and consumption that defines our modern world.