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

This card, from the Actresses series, was produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as promotional material for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. These cards emerged during a period when the rise of commercial photography intersected with burgeoning consumer culture. The image depicts a seated actress, poised and elegant. Here, her identity is intertwined with her public persona, manufactured and consumed like the cigarettes the card advertises. These cards reflect the changing role of women in the public sphere at the time. Actresses, in particular, were figures of fascination, embodying both the allure of the stage and the complexities of female identity. While the actress presents herself with grace, consider the context of this image. It was designed to sell a product, reducing her image to a mere commodity. The card both celebrates and exploits her identity. This piece prompts us to reflect on the historical and ongoing commodification of identity, particularly female identity, within consumer culture. It invites us to question the power dynamics inherent in representation and consumption.