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

This card, featuring actress Amy Lee, was produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as a promotional item for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The company mass-produced these cards using photographic printing, a process that allowed for detailed images to be reproduced quickly and cheaply on a small scale. The sepia tone of the photograph is characteristic of early photographic processes, where chemical reactions on treated paper created these distinctive hues. The image itself, showing Amy Lee in repose, was carefully staged to convey glamour, while the card's small size made it easily portable, perfect for collecting and trading. Such cards offered an early form of celebrity endorsement, linking the allure of actresses to the consumption of tobacco products. The mass production and distribution of these cards reflect the rise of consumer culture in the late 19th century, blurring the lines between art, advertising, and everyday life. By valuing the context and means of production, we see how deeply intertwined art and commerce can be.