M'lle Marriott, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1890

This is a promotional card for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes, featuring M'lle Marriott, made by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. Its sepia tones and compact size draw you into a world of understated elegance and controlled composition. The portrait is tightly framed, focusing attention on the actress's face and the delicate string of pearls around her neck. The use of light and shadow is carefully calibrated. Notice how the soft lighting accentuates her features, creating a gentle, almost ethereal effect. The actress's gaze, directed slightly off-center, lends a sense of depth and intrigue to the image. This card operates within a matrix of signs, where M'lle Marriott's image signifies both beauty and refinement, qualities that the brand likely aimed to associate with its cigarettes. The card’s dimensions reflect a specific historical context, indicative of a society where personal adornment and promotional culture were intimately linked. The emphasis on surface and image, in the end, encourages us to consider how such ephemera contributed to the construction of identity and desire.