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

This small photograph was produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as a promotional item for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. It belongs to a series of actresses, very popular at the time. The image is a window into the cultural landscape of late 19th-century America, where the burgeoning advertising industry sought new ways to capture consumer attention. By associating their product with popular actresses, tobacco companies sought to imbue their brand with glamour and aspiration. But it also reveals a society grappling with changing gender roles, as women gained more visibility in the public sphere through entertainment. The actress, identified as "Russel", is depicted in a posed studio shot, in which she wears an elaborate gown that speaks to the material aspirations of the time. To understand this image fully, one might turn to archives of advertising history, theater reviews, and biographical information about the actress. The meaning of art objects like this is contingent on social and institutional contexts.