Vesta Victoria, 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
63.350.220.245.1873
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 1890s advertising with *Vesta Victoria, from Actresses series (N)*, a petite albumen photograph produced by the Kinney Brothers Company to promote their Sweet Caporal Cigarettes This tiny portrait (just 2 1/2 × 1 7/16 inches) captures the celebrated British music hall actress Vesta Victoria, known for her spirited performances and male impersonations. As part of a popular series featuring glamorous actresses, these cards were collectible inserts tucked into cigarette packs, blending celebrity allure with commercial savvy. Albumen prints, a hallmark of 19th-centu...
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...