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

This late nineteenth-century photograph of Mattie Lockette was part of a promotional series for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes, produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. These cards were aimed at male consumers and speak volumes about the social roles and expectations of women at the time. The image presents Lockette, an actress, in a pose that emphasizes her beauty and femininity. The lace and frills of her dress, along with her coy expression, cater to a male gaze that was prevalent in popular culture. Kinney Brothers used popular actresses to market directly to consumers, which speaks to the rise of celebrity culture at the time. These cards were a cheap, mass-produced form of advertising, and their existence tells us a lot about gender, marketing, and consumer culture in America at the time. Analyzing these historical documents means delving into archival materials, looking at the history of advertising, and thinking about the social and cultural context of the era. These cards may seem simple on the surface, but they reveal the complex interplay of social norms, gender roles, and commercial interests that shaped the late 19th century.