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

This is a photograph of Maud Midgley, part of the 'Actresses' series by Kinney Brothers, created to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The sepia tone casts a uniform light, obscuring fine details and softening contrasts which creates a sentimental mood. The composition adheres to a classical structure: Midgley is centered, her gaze slightly upward, framed by soft light that blurs the edges of the image. Note how her dress, draped loosely, suggests a neo-classical sensibility with the classical lines. The photograph flattens depth, reducing the subject to a series of overlapping planes of light and shadow. This simplification invites us to consider the photograph not just as a representation, but as an artifact—a carefully constructed image that straddles portraiture and early commercial design. Consider how the image uses the semiotics of fame to turn the human form into a signifier of desire and consumption.