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Original 1890 N245 “Actors and Actresses” tobacco card featuring Miss Renaldi, issued by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes.
This early photographic trade card features an albumen photograph of the actress identified simply as “Renaldi” at the bottom of the image.
The reverse carries the classic Sweet Caporal advertising text:
“Absolutely Pure.
The Old Reliable
Sweet Caporal Cigarette
Has Stood the Test of Time.
More Sold Than All Other Brands Combined.”
The N245 series was issued around 1890 and featured actors, actresses and other theatrical performers of the period.
An example of this exact Miss Renaldi card is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, where it is cataloged as an 1890 albumen photograph from the Kinney Brothers “Actresses” series.
A very nice survivor from the early history of tobacco advertising, theatrical photography and American trade cards.
Approximate size: 2 1/2 x 1 7/16 inches.
Condition: Original antique condition with age-related fading and toning to the photograph, edge and corner wear, a diagonal crease across the lower-right portion, and a small crease/bend at the upper-right corner. Reverse has toning and an old handwritten mark across part of the word “Sweet.” The image and printed name remain clearly visible. Please review all photos carefully for condition.
Original period card — not a reproduction.
Item specifics
- Series: N245 Actors and Actresses
- Issuer: Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company
- Brand: Sweet Caporal Cigarettes
- Type: Tobacco / Trade Card
- Medium: Albumen Photograph
- Original/Reproduction: Original
- Theme: Theater / Actresses / Tobacco Advertising
- Country of Manufacture: United States
Search terms
N245, Miss Renaldi, Sweet Caporal, Kinney Brothers, actress tobacco card, 1890 trade card, Victorian actress, theatrical photograph, albumen photo
