Portrait of woman, from the Novelties series (N228, Type 1) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889

This is a portrait of a woman from the Novelties series, created by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. These cards were distributed with tobacco products. Tobacco cards such as these coincided with expanding marketing techniques of the late 19th century. These small, collectible cards often featured actresses, athletes, or figures that promoted ideals of beauty and success. Here, the anonymous woman has the fair skin and rosy cheeks that symbolized feminine beauty. In the late 1800’s images of women began to circulate more freely in the public sphere, yet these images also reinforced limiting roles for women in society. The Kinney Brothers and other producers of these cards played a role in shaping a vision of womanhood that was widely disseminated through popular culture. While seemingly a harmless novelty, this portrait reflects the complex interweaving of commerce, gender, and identity. It prompts us to reflect on how societal ideals of beauty and success are constructed and spread through visual media.