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

This photograph of ‘Rosita’ comes from a series made by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company in the late nineteenth century to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The company produced collectible cards of actresses in the United States during this period of intense commercial expansion and mass marketing. In that context, we can see how images circulated not just as art but as commodities themselves. The ‘Actresses’ series presented idealized images of femininity, reflecting the social norms of the time. Rosita’s garb is in fact masculine attire. The photograph plays with gender roles in a way that’s both titillating and safely contained. To understand the social and cultural impact of images like this, we can turn to archives of popular culture, as well as business and legal records. This helps us to appreciate the complex intersections of art, commerce, and identity. The image speaks volumes about the evolving role of women in society and the institutions that both reflected and shaped those roles.