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

This card, featuring Lena Thibaut, was produced in the United States by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as part of a series promoting Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. These cards, popular in the late 19th century, offer a fascinating glimpse into the cultural values and commercial strategies of the time. The ‘Actresses’ series is a study in the commodification of female performers, turning them into collectible items that came bundled with tobacco products. The theatrical costume worn by Lena Thibaut is a visual code, conjuring up a world of fantasy and entertainment for the consumer. The institutional history of advertising is critical here. This card reveals how corporations actively participated in shaping public perceptions of women, labor, and leisure. By consulting archives and market research from the period, we can better understand how these images influenced consumer culture and social norms. The meaning of art, as this example reminds us, is always contingent on its social and institutional context.