Miss Davenport, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This small, mass-produced card showing Miss Davenport was printed by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. in the late 19th century as part of a series of actresses included in cigarette packs. These cards provide a fascinating glimpse into the social and cultural landscape of the time, and the rise of consumer culture. The commodification of actresses' images, linking them to cigarette brands, speaks volumes about the evolving relationship between entertainment, advertising, and identity in America at the time. The images were designed to promote Kimball's cigarettes and to appeal to consumers, but they also inadvertently captured the shifting social mores of the period, including changing ideals of beauty, fame, and gender roles. By studying such ephemera, we can gain insight into the public role of art and understand how it reflects and shapes cultural values. Such images can be studied using resources from advertising, theater, and social history.