Anna Slack, from the Actresses series (N246), Type 2, issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sporting Extra Cigarettes 1888 - 1892

This is a photograph of Anna Slack from the Actresses series, produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as promotional material for Sporting Extra Cigarettes. Made in the late 19th century, this small card reflects the intertwined relationships between commerce, celebrity, and performance. Actresses, like Anna Slack, gained public recognition through their stage presence, but also through their reproduction on collectible cards. The Kinney Brothers were among many companies using images of popular figures to market their products, tapping into the era's burgeoning consumer culture. This card reveals much about the social and economic conditions of the time. It speaks to the rise of mass media, the commercialization of leisure, and the changing status of women in the public eye. To fully understand the cultural significance of this card, we might explore archives of theater history, advertising, and the history of tobacco. By examining these resources, we can better appreciate the complex interplay of art, commerce, and society.