La Mon and Cary, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This small card was created by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. as part of the Actresses series. These cards were originally included in cigarette packs. The image captures two women, La Mon and Cary, performers who were part of the vaudeville circuit. Their clothing and poses would have signaled both glamour and a certain level of risque entertainment to contemporary viewers. These images were part of a larger phenomenon of using women's images to sell products, but they also reveal some of the tensions around gender, labor, and performance during this era. The bicycle is a not so subtle signifier of 'new woman' and thus is sexually charged. While the cards may seem like simple advertisements, they offer us a glimpse into how the public consumed images of women and celebrity in a rapidly changing media landscape. They invite us to consider questions of agency, representation, and the cultural values embedded within popular imagery.