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

This photograph of Harriet Vernon is from a series of promotional cards for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes, produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company in the late 19th century. These cards offer a glimpse into the social and cultural values of the Gilded Age in the United States. Actresses, like Vernon, were among the first celebrities, and their images were widely circulated and consumed. This commodification of beauty and fame speaks to the growing influence of mass media and advertising. It is an early example of the celebrity endorsement, linking the actress's image with the consumption of tobacco. What’s interesting is that, while we think of art as being in a separate sphere from commerce, here we see the two interwoven. To understand this image, we need to consider the history of advertising, the rise of celebrity culture, and the social norms around gender and performance. Examining these kinds of commercial images can reveal a lot about the society that produced and consumed them.