Johnstone Bennett, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

This small photograph of Johnstone Bennett was made by Goodwin & Company as part of a series of promotional cards for Old Judge Cigarettes. In the late 19th century, tobacco companies used such cards to stiffen cigarette packs and attract customers. These cards became a popular collecting craze, with series dedicated to sports figures, animals, and, as we see here, actors and actresses. The image of Johnstone Bennett, with her hands confidently on her hips and her slightly amused expression, projects a sense of self-assurance and independence that would appeal to the period’s emerging ideal of the ‘New Woman’. Such items offer us a window into the commercial culture and celebrity of the Gilded Age. Trade publications, theatre archives, and biographical research can tell us more about the performers who captured the public’s imagination and the industries that promoted them. This image, then, is more than just a portrait; it is a fragment of social history.