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

This is a promotional card for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes, featuring the actress Lillian Russell, produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, sometime in the late nineteenth century. These cards emerged amidst a burgeoning culture of celebrity and consumerism, where images of actresses and other public figures were used to market products. Russell, a celebrated performer, embodies the idealized femininity of the Gilded Age. Yet, there is a tension in this photograph: Russell is styled in what appears to be a masculine, pirate-like garb. Her strong gaze seems to challenge conventional gender roles. While on the surface this card seems to simply promote smoking, it also reveals the complex interplay of gender, performance, and commercialism in shaping identity. Consider how Russell, in assuming a character, both reinforced and subverted the social expectations of women during this period. Ultimately, this photograph prompts us to consider the multifaceted ways in which identity is constructed and consumed.