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

This trade card, featuring Mlle. Elisa Saracco, was produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, using photographic print on paper. Though photography seems far removed from craft traditions, we can see this mass-produced image as very much connected with the wider social and economic context of its time. The card was part of a series of actresses used to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The image itself, with its sepia tone and carefully posed subject, has a certain aesthetic quality, recalling the fine arts. Yet, it was created with the explicit purpose of driving consumption. The use of photography allowed for the mass production of these cards, making them readily available and disposable. They were distributed with cigarette packs, incentivizing repeat purchases. It’s interesting to note how this particular image brings together aspects of both high culture – a theatrical performer – and a rapidly expanding culture of consumerism. The card represents a moment when art, advertising, and commerce were becoming increasingly intertwined.