Summer, from the Magic Changing Cards series (N223) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company 1889

Kinney Tobacco Company made this lithograph card around the turn of the century, as part of a promotional series. It depicts a woman in modest swimwear, set against a beach backdrop. Consider the era: this was a time of rapid industrialization, shifting social norms, and growing consumer culture. Tobacco cards like these were designed to be collected, traded, and even pasted into albums. The seemingly innocent image of a woman enjoying the summer takes on a different meaning when we consider the era's strict gender roles and expectations. The woman's attire, while meant for swimming, still covers much of her body, reflecting the Victorian era's constraints on female exposure and a narrow definition of femininity. The card invites a gaze, but one that’s carefully managed. It hints at the changing attitudes towards women's freedom and leisure, even as it reinforces certain boundaries. "Hold to the light" the card suggests, and we reveal the subtle tensions of a society on the cusp of change.