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

This tiny card featuring Kittie Wells was one of a series of actresses printed by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. Produced in the United States at a time when the tobacco industry was booming, these cards were essentially miniature advertisements packaged directly with consumer products. Here, Wells is posed in a theatrical costume, a visual shorthand meant to convey glamour. The image participates in a broader cultural phenomenon of the late 19th century, as the advent of photography and cheap printing technologies allowed for the mass circulation of celebrity images. This was part of the development of a new kind of consumer culture, where desire was manufactured through visual media. These cards, like the magazines and posters of the time, offer valuable insights for the historian interested in the social and economic conditions that shape artistic production and consumption. Examining archives, census data, and business records helps to illuminate the complex interplay between art, commerce, and identity in this period.