Pearl E. Larue, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1890

This card featuring actress Pearl E. Larue was produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as a promotional insert for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The image, a photograph transferred to card stock through industrial printing, reflects the burgeoning mass media of its time. Consider how this small, inexpensive item connects to larger systems of labor, politics, and consumption. Tobacco cultivation relied heavily on exploited labor, while the mass production of cigarettes demanded factory work. The card itself, churned out in vast quantities, served to promote consumption and normalize smoking, which was only just beginning to be understood as a health risk. The photograph captures Larue in a theatrical pose, complete with top hat and cane, subtly blurring gender lines. This was a deliberate choice, intended to appeal to a broad audience. The image, easily reproducible and widely disseminated, speaks to the democratizing potential of mass media, even as it served commercial interests. This little card reminds us that even the most ephemeral objects can carry significant cultural weight.