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

This small card, featuring Yolande Wallace, was produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as a promotional item for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. It is a photograph printed on paper, a relatively new technology at the time. The image itself is a product of both photographic and printing processes, requiring skilled labor in the studio and factory. These cards were designed for mass distribution, tucked into cigarette packs. The sepia tone gives the image a sense of warmth and nostalgia, characteristic of photographs from this period. The image presents Wallace as an idealized vision of feminine beauty, carefully posed and lit. The card functioned as a collectible, contributing to the burgeoning culture of consumerism. This was a clever marketing strategy, associating the brand with glamour and celebrity. It also involved the labor of countless workers involved in the tobacco, printing, and distribution industries. Ultimately, this card highlights the intersection of art, commerce, and labor, reminding us that even seemingly simple images are embedded in complex economic and social contexts.