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

Curator: Looking at this albumen print, titled "Miss Benney, from the Actresses series (N245)" we find an 1890 advertisement from the Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. Editor: What immediately strikes me is the studied pose and her vaguely inscrutable gaze. It gives off a melancholy aura despite being a promotional item. Curator: Indeed, the advertisement presents us with several interesting layers when examined from a contemporary lens. Miss Benney, seemingly adorned in what is intended to be Japanese-style dress, speaks to the Japonisme craze that had gripped the West. It raises complex questions of cultural appropriation and the exoticization of the ‘other.’ Editor: And that interest is layered with symbolic cues—note the vase at her side. The floral design around the base of the vase hints at notions of idealized beauty, of nature cultivated and arranged, presented alongside this actress, which invites interpretation of the cultivated woman. Also, the patterned screen adds visual texture and depth. It draws the eye to certain sections while providing cultural context clues to explore deeper meaning in the photograph. Curator: Precisely. Beyond aesthetic delight, we need to analyze the power dynamics at play. The gaze directed at Miss Benney then, the cigarette consumer base it attempts to engage, and ultimately, where women fall within all these interlocking relations. Moreover, how do performances of femininity influence social norms in turn? Editor: Absolutely, we see layers of self-awareness performed here. This card becomes a tiny portal to understanding visual cues from this time—it can teach how the cultural elite perceived beauty and status. What’s striking, of course, is how quickly it's both dated and timeless. Curator: These cards reflect broader power structures, so in viewing art, the aim becomes recognizing those subtle gestures towards intersectional ideas. Editor: Understanding those underlying cultural cues gives added power and meaning.