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

Editor: Here we have an albumen print titled "Agnes Miller, from the Actresses series (N245)," produced around 1890 by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. It’s quite a simple portrait, but her smile feels so genuine. What do you make of it? Curator: What strikes me immediately is the historical context of tobacco cards. Kinney Brothers weren't making art for art's sake, but deploying imagery of actresses to cultivate brand loyalty. Think about the distribution—inside cigarette packs! Art entering everyday life in a very commercial way, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Absolutely, it is interesting how the art reached such a wide audience, quite unlike today's gallery setting. Do you think this form of advertising influenced perceptions of women at the time? Curator: I would say definitely. The ‘actress’ was becoming a figure of public fascination, and here she is directly associated with a consumer product. It’s image-making intersecting with marketing, shaping ideals of beauty and aspiration, and making them accessible to a wider population than ever before. It's soft drawing combined with mass production and advertising... Do you see this as empowering, exploitative, or somewhere in between? Editor: I can see it both ways, a step forward, and yet still leveraging images of women for profit. I guess it's not an either/or. Curator: Exactly, that tension is key. Understanding that complexity is part of engaging with this piece, and its broader cultural impact. This small card actually opens up some interesting questions! Editor: I agree; it’s incredible how much we can unpack from this little portrait. It has certainly changed the way I see this sort of advertisement!