Monocle and Eye (blue), from Jocular Ocular series (N221) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889

This is "Monocle and Eye (blue)", a late 19th-century trade card from the Jocular Ocular series, issued by Kinney Bros. Tobacco Company. These cards were inserted into cigarette packs as a marketing strategy, common at the time. This little eye, with its striking blue iris, offers a fascinating glimpse into the intersection of commerce, culture, and identity of the period. What does it mean to commodify the gaze in this way? The card participates in the act of looking, offering a playful image that also embodies the power dynamics inherent in the act of viewing. The blue eye, often associated with an ideal of beauty, might invite us to reflect on the cultural values assigned to certain physical traits. Consider how this small object, originally intended to promote a tobacco product, now invites us to look critically at the ways in which we consume images and construct identities.