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

"Mary Stuart" is a black and white photograph from the "Actresses" series, produced in 1890 by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal cigarettes. The photograph features a woman in an elaborate dress sitting on a small table, a popular pose for portraits of the time. The series was part of a trend in the late 19th century of using trading cards to advertise products and to appeal to consumers through collecting. The photograph, now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, provides a glimpse into popular culture and the role of women in the performing arts during the late 19th century.