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

Editor: This is a photograph from 1890 of Elena Martinez, taken by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. It was created as part of the Actresses series to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The photo is printed on a small card, almost like a baseball card, and Martinez is dressed in an elaborate costume. What really strikes me is the overt use of her image for commercial purposes. What are your initial thoughts? Curator: It's interesting that you highlight the commercial aspect. These kinds of photographic cards were indeed hugely popular, effectively turning actresses into commodities. What's also noteworthy is the framing of Martinez. Consider the role of tobacco companies at the time; they shaped public perception by circulating these idealized images of women. How do you think that affected ideas about beauty or celebrity culture at the time? Editor: I guess it’s a way of normalizing these figures, bringing them into everyday life through advertising. And subtly connecting them with the product, so it must be a desire to possess some of that glamour, that success. Curator: Precisely. It's a form of social engineering through imagery. These cards were designed to circulate widely, influencing cultural values by linking performance, beauty, and consumption. What do you think this tells us about the power of visual media back then, compared to now? Editor: It shows that using images to sell wasn’t some invention of the modern world; it was very much part of late 19th-century culture, even if the tools were quite different. Curator: Indeed. Examining objects like these allows us to understand how the mechanics of celebrity and consumerism have evolved—or haven't—over time and how social values have changed along with them. I hadn’t quite considered it in that light, thank you for pointing that out. Editor: Thanks for helping me understand the broader cultural significance of something that at first just seemed like a vintage advertisement!