Portrait of woman, from the Novelties series (N228, Type 1) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889

This small, circular "trade card" from the Kinney Bros. Tobacco Company's "Novelties" series features a portrait of a woman with a warm smile, a simple white collar with a blue trim, and a brown, wavy hairstyle. This piece is a part of a larger set of cards that were distributed with tobacco products in the late 19th century, and it's a charming example of the "trade card" genre which evolved from the Victorian era's "carte de visite" photography. The Metropolitan Museum of Art houses this miniature portrait, a testament to the enduring power of imagery and the ephemera of everyday life.