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

This is a trade card, also known as a cigarette card, for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes featuring Mlle. Steading, an actress. Issued in 1890 by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, it was part of a series of cards featuring actresses. The card is a simple portrait of Mlle. Steading in a white dress, holding flowers and standing in front of a blurred background of foliage, typical of the photographic style of the time. The card was a promotional item, designed to attract customers to the Sweet Caporal brand of cigarettes. This card is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. The image of this card is typical of trade cards, often featuring popular figures of the day, and were extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.