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

This is Ida Mulle, from the Actresses series (N245) a promotional card issued by Kinney Brothers for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The sepia tone and small format create an intimate viewing experience. Mulle's pose, with her hands behind her head, draws attention to the curves of her body and hints at the exotic. The photograph itself is a study in contrasts. The texture of her costume is a mix of soft, flowing fabric and more rigid geometric embellishments, disrupting a fixed narrative. The card destabilizes established meanings through the contrast between commercial promotion and artistic representation. The very act of portraying an actress, and using her image to sell cigarettes, engages with new ways of thinking about representation and spectatorship. Ultimately, the interplay between Mulle's pose, the commercial context, and the artistic elements on this small card invites us to consider how meaning is constructed through the interplay of form, function, and cultural codes.