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

Mlle. Lobestini is an albumen silver print on paper, created by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as part of the Actresses series to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. These cards were a product of their time, reflecting the late 19th-century obsession with celebrity and the burgeoning advertising industry. This image encapsulates complex issues of gender, performance, and commodification. Actresses like Mlle. Lobestini were public figures, and their images were widely circulated and consumed. While they enjoyed a certain level of fame, their likenesses were also used to sell products, blurring the line between personal identity and commercial object. Consider the layers of representation here: Mlle. Lobestini as a performer, as a woman in the public eye, and as an image reproduced for mass consumption. The photograph captures a moment, but it also participates in a broader cultural narrative about femininity, visibility, and value. This piece reminds us to think critically about the ways in which images shape our perceptions and perpetuate cultural norms.