Dinard, from the Fancy Bathers series (N187) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This small card, "Dinard," was issued by the Wm. S. Kimball & Co., and is part of the Fancy Bathers series. It's a chromolithograph, meaning that a separate printing stone was used for each color, creating a relatively vivid image for its time. The process allowed for mass production, and this particular card was a promotional insert for a brand of cigarettes. Notice how the scene depicts a fashionable woman at the beach. The quality of the print, the paper stock, and the image itself would have all been carefully calibrated to appeal to consumers. What's fascinating is the convergence of leisure, fashion, and mass manufacturing. The card speaks volumes about the social and economic shifts of the era. It collapses boundaries between art and advertising, highlighting the pervasive influence of industrial production on visual culture. Looking at “Dinard” invites us to consider the intricate relationship between commerce, art, and everyday life.