Anahuac, from the Dancing Girls of the World series (N185) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This small-scale print called Anahuac, part of the Dancing Girls of the World series, was issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. in the late 19th century. The series encapsulates the era’s fascination with global cultures, filtered through a lens of exoticism and colonialism. The image depicts a woman in a stylized version of what is presented as traditional Mexican dress. We must consider how the woman and her culture are viewed through the eyes of American commercial interests. This was a time of increasing American expansionism and intervention in Latin America. The so-called “dancing girl” is less an individual and more a symbol used to promote the company's products. This commercial approach flattens cultural identity into easily digestible stereotypes. Reflect on what it means to represent a culture, especially when power dynamics are imbalanced. The woman appears to offer herself up for our consumption, mirroring the ways entire cultures were being commodified and consumed during this era.