Mrs. St. Henery, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1890

This small card, featuring Mrs. St. Henery, is from a series of actresses produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, around the turn of the 20th century, as promotional items for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. These cards were created at a time when the burgeoning mass media was increasingly used to shape public opinion. Actresses, like Mrs. St. Henery, were among the first celebrities, figures whose images were widely circulated and consumed. The image emphasizes idealized beauty standards, and the attire of actresses became aspirational, and inspirational for women. While the cards seem innocuous, they also speak to broader issues of labor, representation, and consumerism. Consider the exploitation inherent in tobacco production, and the complex relationship between performance, identity, and commercialism that these cards represent. What does it mean to turn a person into a collectible? How do these images shape our understanding of beauty, success, and the role of women in society? Ultimately, the photograph of Mrs. St. Henery encapsulates a moment in history when the boundaries between art, commerce, and identity were becoming increasingly blurred.