Mlle. Simond, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1890

This promotional card for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes, featuring Mlle. Simond, was created by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company in the late 19th century. Produced using mass printing techniques, these cards were a form of early advertising, inserted into cigarette packs to entice consumers. The sepia-toned photograph has a direct, almost intimate quality. The texture of the card stock is smooth, yet its small size underscores its role as a mass-produced commodity. The process of photographic reproduction allowed for countless copies to be made, distributing Simond's image far and wide, effectively turning her likeness into a valuable asset for the company. These cards speak volumes about the intersection of celebrity, consumption, and industrial production. The Kinney Brothers harnessed the power of image reproduction to promote their product, blurring the lines between art, advertising, and everyday life. Examining the materials and methods behind this card prompts us to consider the social and economic forces at play in its creation and distribution, and how the ‘low’ world of advertising could produce an object now held in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.