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

This calling card was produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, most likely in the 1880s. It’s a photograph of an actress, Mlle. Thomson, mass-produced to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The card's sepia tone reflects a specific photographic process where the image is printed using iron oxides. This not only gave the cards their distinctive color but also ensured they were relatively stable and durable. The mass production of these cards was part of a broader shift towards consumer culture, leveraging celebrity endorsements to promote products. The cards would have been printed in very large numbers, as a way of building brand recognition. What is fascinating here is the layering of labor: from the actress to the photographers, printers, and factory workers, who were usually women. While at first glance, this card looks like a simple piece of advertising ephemera, it embodies the complex relationship between art, industry, and labor in the late 19th century. The images stand as a reminder of the hard work that went into everyday objects, and also the way that capitalism depends on the careful marketing of desire.