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

This small card featuring Belle Leslie was produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as a promotional item for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. It’s a photograph, mass-produced through industrial printing techniques. These cards were essentially trade stimulators, slipped into cigarette packs to encourage repeat purchases. The image itself, sepia-toned and petite, speaks to the era's aesthetic preferences. But it's the context of its production that's most revealing. The rise of industrial photography and printing allowed companies like Kinney Brothers to churn out countless images, turning celebrity and beauty into commodities. Consider the labor involved, from the photographers and printers to the factory workers packing cigarettes. This card is a direct product of late 19th-century capitalism, where art and entertainment became tools for driving consumption. It blurs the lines between art, advertising, and everyday life. Hopefully, it challenges our assumptions about value and artistry.