Bertha Waring, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes
Medium
Albumen photograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 1/2 × 1 7/16 in. (6.4 × 3.7 cm)
Classification
Photographs|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick
Accession Number
63.350.220.245.1922
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the glamorous world of 1890s theater with *Bertha Waring, the Actresses series (245)*, a charming albumen photograph issued by the Kinney Brothers Company to promote their popular Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. This portrait (just 2 1/ × 1 7/16 inches) captures the poised elegance of actress Bertha Waring, one many celebrated performers featured in this collectible series. Tucked into cigarette packs as trading cards, these ephemera items turned everyday smokers into avid collectors, blending celebrity allure with clever marketing. Produced in 1890, the card reflects the Gilded Age's obs...
About the Artist
Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company · 1869–2011
**Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company (1869–2011)** Founded around 1869 by Francis Sherwood Kinney in New York City, the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company quickly rose to prominence in the burgeoning American cigarette industry. Francis, a pioneering tobacco manufacturer, experimented with hand-rolled cigarettes using blends of Turkish and Virginia tobacco, scaling to mass production by employing Europ...