Fishing pole, from the Novelties series (N228, Type 3) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889

This small lithograph, "Fishing pole, from the Novelties series," was created by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company around 1869. The composition immediately draws the eye to its interplay of textures and forms, presenting a basket laden with fishing equipment and a demure portrait of a young lady. The basket, rendered in a tight weave of lines and muted browns, contrasts sharply with the smooth, almost porcelain-like face of the figure, whose features are delicately articulated. The fishing rods above the basket are rendered as simple lines and cylinders, their mechanical forms juxtaposed with the organic texture of the woven basket and the soft contours of the woman's face. This interplay challenges our perception, inviting reflection on the nature of representation itself. Is it a commentary on commercialism, where human presence is intertwined with manufactured goods? Or perhaps a subtle nod to the emerging industrial age, where the boundary between nature and artifice becomes increasingly blurred? This tension invites ongoing interpretation and dialogue.