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

"Ruth Ward, from the Actresses series" is a trade card from the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company promoting Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. Issued in 1890, the card features a bust-length portrait of actress Ruth Ward, posed against a backdrop of a classical column, possibly referencing her theatrical performances. The card showcases a popular marketing strategy of the time, using the image of a famous personality to promote a product. This trade card is an example of the "cigarette card" genre, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This particular card is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.