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

This is a promotional trade card of Lillian Thurgate, an actress, produced by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company around the turn of the century to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. These cards were immensely popular at the time, offering a glimpse into the lives and faces of performers, thus fueling a growing celebrity culture. Thurgate's pose, draped gracefully with a dreamy expression, captures the performative essence of femininity expected on stage and in broader society. It invites viewers to admire and desire a constructed image. The card's function as a cigarette advertisement underscores the intertwining of consumption, desire, and idealized representations of women in the era. These small cards contributed to circulating and reinforcing particular standards of beauty and femininity. Consider how such images shaped perceptions of women, and how the act of collecting and consuming these cards might have influenced an individual's sense of identity and aspiration.