Miss Florence Sutherland, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1890

This is Miss Florence Sutherland, from the Actresses series, a photograph issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. These small cards, distributed with tobacco products, offer a fascinating lens through which to consider the commodification of femininity and celebrity at the turn of the century. Actresses, like Florence Sutherland, became idealised figures, their images mass-produced and circulated as objects of desire. The photograph itself, with its soft focus and flattering pose, constructs a particular vision of feminine beauty, one that emphasizes whiteness, youth, and a certain demure charm. Yet, we might also consider how Sutherland herself navigated these representations, using her image to cultivate a public persona and gain recognition in a burgeoning entertainment industry. This tension between objectification and agency is central to understanding the complex lives of women in the public eye during this period.