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

This small card, printed by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, is one of many from their Actresses series, designed to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. It is made of paper, a mass-produced material, but the image on it has a longer, more involved history. The photograph was likely captured with a large format camera. The wet plate collodion process was used to create a highly detailed negative from which multiple prints could be made, a technique that enabled mass production. The image is sepia-toned, a chemical process that improves archival stability, but also gives the card an antique feel that was popular at the time. What's interesting is how the mass production of these cards and the seemingly high-art subject matter of La Sirene intersect. The image flattens the actress into a commodity, a collectible to be consumed along with the cigarettes. It is a reminder that even seemingly high-end cultural products are deeply embedded in the everyday world of labor, commerce, and consumption.