Violet Cameron as "The Glorious Fourth," from the series Fancy Dress Ball Costumes (N73) for Duke brand cigarettes 1889

Curator: I must say, there's something wonderfully whimsical and subtly rebellious about this little watercolor print. The Metropolitan Museum holds it, titled "Violet Cameron as 'The Glorious Fourth,'" one from a series of Fancy Dress Ball Costumes by W. Duke, Sons & Co., dating back to 1889, intended as cigarette cards! Editor: It's an odd mix, isn't it? There's a lightness of touch in the portrait itself – almost Impressionistic in its blurring of the face, but it clashes against this, well, aggressively patriotic, bordering-on-militaristic framing with all the fireworks paraphernalia. A fancy dress portrait advertising a brand, very early commercialism using themes from celebrations of the US. The figure's gaze looking almost hopefully to the distance with rockets framing her expression gives the idea that a brighter tomorrow can emerge from explosives and gunpowder! Curator: Oh, but those details are exquisite, don't you think? Look at how the artist captures the texture of the... are those firecrackers forming her headdress? The dedication of celebrating the history of a nation so boldly! And notice the softer touches. The pastel hues create a dreamy, almost nostalgic feel that’s at total cross-purposes. Perhaps the intent was not so abrasive as you say, the portrait suggests almost dreamlike fancy more than war and militancy! Editor: Maybe, but I see something more calculated. This image aestheticizes nationalism for profit. It taps into the emotional resonance of July 4th while simultaneously peddling addiction. I'm just trying to reckon with this uneasy fusion of commercial intent and historical narratives about the construction of patriotism... for smokers. How very particular... Curator: True enough. But consider also that this was a moment where even the air felt filled with potential, invention, industrial progress... smoking may well have been conflated with liberation for people! We're quick to condemn now, but let us consider a perspective without 21st century judgement. It's all part of the complicated tapestry. A snapshot, quite literally, of a very specific moment, a unique commercial-meets-culture creation! Editor: Absolutely, a reminder that art, even in its most seemingly innocent forms, often reflects, and sometimes reinforces, power structures and societal attitudes of its time. An advertisement, no matter how ephemeral, isn't ever really neutral, especially considering the impact cigarette manufacturers have made on this earth, even after our 21st century judgement as you say... Curator: Well, that does take all the joy out of fireworks, doesn't it? But in this very moment, I can almost hear the joyful screams, sense the smell of fireworks and sulfur, it makes me want to step inside it. An innocent, complex thing to be sure, yet it encapsulates much. It’s more than just a fancy-dress portrait; it's a societal looking glass into times since changed... thank goodness. Editor: Precisely. An image worth far more than a passing glance, in how it forces a confrontation with a difficult piece of social, and cultural, reality.