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

This small photograph of Louise Montague was created by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as a promotional item for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. Printed on thin paper, this card is an example of mass-produced ephemera, designed for wide distribution and immediate consumption. The image itself is a reminder of the commodification of image and celebrity during the late 19th century. Actresses like Montague were romanticized and captured for these cards, which were included in cigarette packs, to encourage brand loyalty. The Kinney Brothers were not concerned with fine art photography, but with the efficient production of images that could drive sales, in a market increasingly hungry for novelty. The sepia tone and small format of the card speak to the industrial processes that enabled its creation, a far cry from the hand-painted portraits of earlier eras. The image embodies the intersection of entertainment, marketing, and consumption that characterized the rise of modern capitalism.