Tumblers and Bells, from the Musical Instruments series (N121) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1888

Curator: I'm immediately drawn to the juxtaposition of these two women – one poised with crystal tumblers, the other with a collection of gleaming handbells. There's a striking stillness to the whole composition. Editor: That’s an interesting initial response, and certainly something we can dig into further. This print, "Tumblers and Bells," hails from a series of trade cards issued around 1888 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote their Honest Long Cut Tobacco. Each card in the “Musical Instruments” set showcased a different combination of musical tools and refined feminine virtue, contributing to a narrative about consumerism and idealized femininity. Curator: So, the context is key here—linking consumption of tobacco with certain societal expectations for women of that period? How fascinating that these seemingly unrelated objects converge to paint a complex picture of gendered expectations in a commercial setting! The juxtaposition itself feels loaded, doesn't it? The "tumblers" suggesting performance, perhaps illusion, alongside the more straightforward musicality of the "bells." Editor: Absolutely. Consider also the visual details. The ‘tumblers’ woman is draped in a light patterned fabric and sits alongside music while the ‘bells’ woman has a tightly laced, corseted look, all ornament and structure; both indicative of constructed, performed identities. They are performing the roles designated for women. The presence of musical instruments connects back to Duke’s branding but, arguably, there is a deeper interplay here about leisure and expectation. Curator: From a purely visual perspective, the color palette—soft pastels punctuated by bolder accents like the bell-ringer’s corset—creates a very pleasing sense of balance, of constructed harmony almost. Each object is rendered so precisely, so distinctly. The shine of the bells is captured particularly well using colored pencil on a mass produced advertisement! Editor: Agreed, the visual allure is undeniable, it reinforces the desire, both literally for tobacco and culturally for aspiration, but it’s hard not to see it as a representation of women constrained to specific social scripts dictated in a heavily commodified environment. It compels us to consider these constructs, doesn't it? Curator: It does indeed. Thinking about it, seeing both women, the card becomes more than an advert: it's a mirror reflecting back to us these carefully crafted constructions of beauty and virtue, reminding us that those very categories remain shaped and informed by market forces. Editor: Well said. Ultimately, whether examining the symbolism or decoding the color interplay, there is more to this little advertising print than might first appear.