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

This is a promotional image of Emma Mull from the Actresses series, created by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as a cigarette insert. These cards existed within a late 19th-century culture which was rapidly expanding through consumerism, using images of women to attach glamour and desirability to products. Mull, as an actress, was a public figure whose identity was, in a sense, already a commodity. The photo captures Mull in a soft, idealized light, typical of the era's romanticized portraiture. But let's consider this image not just as a piece of advertising, but as a document of a woman's presence in the public eye. Actresses like Mull navigated the constraints and opportunities of their time, using their visibility to forge careers and identities. These cards reflect a society grappling with changing roles for women. This image invites us to reflect on how we consume images and the layered histories embedded within them.