M'lle Marriott, 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
63.350.220.245.1242
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, tobacco companies like Kinney pioneered innovative marketing with collectible trade cards inserted into cigarette packs. *M'lle Marriott, from the Actresses series (245)*, produced in 1890 to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes, exemplifies this trend. This tiny albumen photograph (just 2½ × 1⅞ inches) captures the poised portrait of actress M'lle Marriott, one of many glamorous performers featured in the series. These cards turned everyday purchases into a hunt for rarities, fueling a craze among collectors, especially children and enthusiasts. The albumen printing pro...
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...