Miss Torella, 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
63.350.220.245.1815
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, tobacco companies like Kinney Brothers pioneered innovative advertising through collectible cigarette cards, and *Miss Torella* from their Actresses series (N245) exemplifies this clever marketing. Issued in 1890 to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes, this petite albumen photograph captures the allure of a popular actress, tapping into the era's fascination with theater stars as glamorous icons. These cards, often tucked into cigarette packs, encouraged collecting and trading, blending commerce with celebrity culture during America's Gilded Age. Printed as a small albu...
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...