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

Curator: Looking at this intriguing card featuring Kate Stokes, from the Actresses series dating back to 1890 and issued by the Kinney Brothers. These were actually produced to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes! The portrait is currently part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: Immediately, the sepia tones give it a timeless quality, a whisper from the past. There's a quietness in her gaze, a slight wistfulness. You can tell it was printed but looks like an original drawing. What can you tell me about its meaning? Curator: Well, beyond the obvious advertising purpose, these cards tapped into the burgeoning celebrity culture of the late 19th century. Actresses were idolized, their images highly sought after. The very fact that it’s made available in a somewhat unassuming way creates this democratic feel—like anyone could possess a piece of fame. The cards also reveal how popular visual motifs and themes of Japonisme became even in advertising prints. Editor: It's interesting how consumerism and art intertwine, isn't it? I find the muted color palette really soothing, almost like a watercolor. The framing seems quite standard, yet her expression holds something uniquely intimate, almost fragile, in that slightly tilted head and sidelong look. Curator: It is subtle, but it reveals an aesthetic shift. These cards weren’t just about selling cigarettes, they were selling aspiration, a lifestyle. The choice to portray Kate Stokes in what seems a private, thoughtful moment rather than a theatrical pose reveals the changing dynamics between performers and audiences. Editor: She's very luminous in this little card. And, as ephemera, what's usually thrown away, this feels so deliberately saved, kept like a small jewel of history and theater. It’s as if this fragile print holds more value than just as an advertising medium of its time. Curator: Precisely, and through it, we see reflections of consumer behavior, celebrity fascination, and, above all, how our image of femininity changed over time and space. Editor: Indeed! It’s a humble print, really, that illuminates so many corners of its age. It's really rather lovely to dwell on.