Miss Miller, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

This is a promotional cigarette card of Miss Miller made by Goodwin & Company sometime between 1850 and 1950. As part of the “Actors and Actresses” series, Miss Miller is dressed in costume, perhaps for a role on the stage. These cards existed within a late 19th century culture of collecting where images of prominent figures became accessible to a wider public. However, this accessibility was limited. Tobacco companies often relied on stereotypical and exoticized images of women and people of color, reflecting prevailing social biases. Miss Miller’s theatrical garb is androgynous with its puffy sleeves, cape, and hat. During this period, the stage was one of the few places a woman could take on a different persona and reflect a changing understanding of gender roles. Here we see the commercial world meeting the theater, both of which provided a space for women like Miss Miller to perform an identity, and subvert expectations of femininity. This card, originally a small token included with a purchase, now prompts us to consider the complex relationship between identity, performance, and commercial culture.