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

This photograph of Grace Palotta was printed by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as a promotional insert for their Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The image itself is a mass-produced artifact, printed using industrial methods. This was a period of burgeoning consumer culture, and even celebrity images became a commodity. What we have here is a nexus of entertainment, advertising, and tobacco, all feeding into each other. The sepia tone and small format give the card an intimate feel, but don't be fooled. This was a calculated strategy to put images of actresses like Grace Palotta into as many hands as possible. Consider the amount of labor it took to produce thousands of these cards, from the photographers, to the printing press operators. It’s a reminder that every image, no matter how small, has a material history tied to capitalism and consumption. This piece challenges us to consider how images circulate, and the role they play in shaping our desires.