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

This is a promotional trade card for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes, featuring actress Bertha Rice, produced by Kinney Brothers, around the turn of the 20th century. These cards emerged during a period of industrial expansion and burgeoning consumer culture. Tobacco companies, like Kinney Brothers, used images of popular actresses to market their products and appeal to a broad audience. Consider the implications of representing women, particularly actresses, as objects of mass consumption, packaged and distributed like commodities. Rice, depicted here in costume, embodies the spectacle and allure of the theater. Her confident gaze and stylish attire speak to the constructed nature of celebrity and the performance of identity. What does it mean to be seen, consumed, and remembered through the lens of a tobacco advertisement? How might Rice have felt about her image being used in this way? Consider how this card both reflects and shapes our understanding of gender, labor, and the commodification of fame.