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

This is a promotional cigarette card featuring Ada Melrose, one of many actresses featured in a series produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. These cards were a marketing strategy, which also served to reflect and shape the cultural values of the time. Actresses, like Ada Melrose, became popular figures, embodying ideals of beauty, femininity, and success. However, it's important to consider these representations within the context of the late 19th century, a time when women were often confined to specific roles and expectations. The commodification of actresses' images speaks to the complex interplay between admiration and objectification, and a celebrity-obsessed culture that even then was in full swing. Cards like this offered a glimpse into a world of entertainment and glamour but also reinforced societal norms and power structures. They invited consumers to participate in a culture of consumption, where identity and aspiration were intertwined with the purchase of goods.