Happy New Year, from the New Years 1890 series (N227) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889 - 1890

Editor: This is "Happy New Year, from the New Years 1890 series," a print from 1889 or 1890 by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, currently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It feels both festive and a little… strange? What’s your take? Curator: Well, let's consider its context. This was a tobacco advertisement, designed to circulate widely. The charm comes from a nostalgic nod to childhood innocence while also promoting a commercial product. Think about the political economy of imagery – what are they selling, beyond tobacco? Editor: I guess they're selling an idea of 'the good old days?' I wonder if the child labor laws have anything to do with how children are depicted in marketing collateral in this period? Curator: Precisely. And who is this "good old days" narrative aimed at? Who is the audience for these kinds of cards, and what anxieties or aspirations do they hold about the turn of the century? Editor: So, the image isn't just cute; it's doing some serious cultural work, playing on anxieties and marketing to specific desires related to their consumer base at the time, mostly white, middle-class males. I guess pictorialism is related? Curator: Indeed, it aimed to elevate photography, and illustration by extension, to the level of fine art. And by making these sentimental connections to childhood or Christmas imagery they further endeared themselves to their audience as well, not unlike how contemporary advertisements use family narratives today to try and push products. Editor: Wow, I'll never look at an old advertisement the same way. I had assumed there were only aesthetic aspirations, but really it’s tied to historical context, to cultural issues about race, class, age and nostalgia! Curator: Precisely! Seeing the image in its historical light truly uncovers those additional hidden depths, like time capsules waiting to be decoded.