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

This is "Litta," a promotional card from the Actresses series, created by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company to market Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. In the late 19th century, the rise of mass media and consumer culture saw tobacco companies using images of popular actresses to promote their products. These cards offer a window into the period's ideals of beauty and femininity, but they also reveal complex negotiations of identity and representation. Actresses, often viewed as public figures, had to navigate expectations around their image. The women in these cards were simultaneously empowered by their visibility and constrained by societal norms. This image of Litta, in her striking pose, embodies a tension between the individual and the public persona, between the freedom of performance and the constraints of societal expectations. It offers an opportunity to reflect on the intertwined nature of identity, representation, and consumer culture.