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

This tiny card of actress Ada Russell comes from a series made by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. Notice how the sepia tone unifies the composition, casting a uniform light that flattens the image. The figure is presented frontally. Russell’s pose, combined with the composition and the tonal range of the photograph, creates a formal portrait. But this photograph is not simply representational; it's a commodity, designed to be collected and traded. It's part of a semiotic system where Russell's image signifies not just herself, but also the allure of celebrity, performance, and the pleasures associated with smoking Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The photograph challenges fixed notions of identity, celebrity, and value, and the image of Ada as a cultural artifact, is forever caught within a network of desire and exchange.