Globe Fish, from the series Fishers and Fish (N74) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888

This is a chromolithograph trade card, made by Knapp & Company for Duke brand cigarettes. It features a peculiar figure, a young woman dressed for fishing with a rather unusual catch—a "globe fish." Here, the woman stands as a modern echo of the ancient fisher kings, figures tied to the abundance and mysteries of water. The fish, traditionally a symbol of fertility, transformation, and, in Christian iconography, Christ himself, appears almost grotesque here. Note how this contrasts starkly with the lady’s fashionable attire, as she is poised between nature and civilization. This juxtaposition perhaps speaks to the subconscious unease of modernity. Such imagery resonates with our collective memories, dredging up archetypal anxieties and desires. This tension between beauty and the beast, the natural and the artificial, engages us on a subconscious level, evoking both fascination and unease. Symbols, like fish, are never static; they resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings.