French Can-Can Dancer, from the Dancing Women series (N186) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This chromolithograph of a French can-can dancer was issued by the American tobacco company, Wm. S. Kimball & Co., as part of a series of collectible cards. These cards were inserted into cigarette packages as a marketing strategy, capitalizing on the late 19th-century fascination with mass-produced images and the exotic allure of European entertainment. The can-can, originating in the dance halls of Paris, was considered scandalous due to its suggestive nature and the perceived loosening of social mores. It's worth noting that the representation of the dancer here is sanitized for American consumption. We could consult sources from the period, like newspapers and moral reform pamphlets, to gauge the reception of such imagery and the debates around the commercialization of culture. By exploring these materials, we understand how this seemingly innocuous image served as a flashpoint for broader anxieties about class, gender, and national identity.