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

This is a promotional trade card from the late 19th century, issued by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as part of their "Actresses" series, intended to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. These cards reflect a burgeoning commercial culture in the United States, where advertising was becoming increasingly sophisticated. The image of Ada Melrose, a stage actress, is used to associate the cigarettes with glamour and celebrity, part of a broader trend to link products with desirable lifestyles. The card participates in constructing and disseminating ideals of feminine beauty and success of that era. Understanding the significance of this card requires us to examine the history of advertising, the rise of consumer culture, and the social status of actresses in the late 19th century. Museum archives, advertising history collections, and theater ephemera collections are useful resources for that. Analyzing this image, we understand how cultural values are produced, circulated, and consumed through commercial images.