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

Art Historical Context

Step into the glittering world of late 19th-century theater with *Ellaline Terriss, the Actresses series (245)*, a tiny yet captivating albumen photograph produced by the Kinney Brothers Company in 1890 This pocket-sized card (just 2½ × 1⅜ inches) features the celebrated actress Ellaline Terriss, whose poised portrait embodies the era's fascination with stage stars. Issued to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes, was one of many in a popular series designed to entice collectors by tucking celebrity images into cigarette packs. These ephemera cards mark a clever marketing innovation during America's Gilded Age, when tobacco companies like Kinney Brothers leveraged the rising stardom of women performers to boost sales. The Actresses series tapped into the cultural allure of theater divas, blending photography with consumer culture and turning everyday smokers into avid hobbyists. Part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a treasure trove of vintage trading cards—this piece highlights how advertising intersected with popular entertainment. Crafted via the albumen process, which coated paper with egg-white emulsion for sharp, luminous prints, the card showcases early photographic precision in a disposable format. Its survival speaks to the enduring appeal of these mementos, offering a window into Victorian-era gender dynamics, celebrity worship, and the birth of modern collectibles.

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...