Fire, from the Parasol Drills series (N18) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1888

Editor: This is "Fire," one from a series called "Parasol Drills" created in 1888 by Allen & Ginter as a cigarette card. It's a color print, so small and delicate. She seems like an advertisement attempting elegance, but the whole image feels a little unsettling. What do you see in it? Curator: My eye is drawn immediately to the umbrella – more precisely, the parasol – she holds so casually. Don't you think it's curious that it’s labeled ‘Fire’? This era loved allegory. Consider the parasol – a shield against the sun's fire, but also suggestive of protection and societal expectation. Editor: Protection, sure, and keeping pale was seen as fashionable then, so maybe guarding against sun… What societal expectations, though? Curator: Observe how controlled she is, gloved and tightly dressed, almost contained despite the flamboyance of her hat. It's a study in contrasts, isn’t it? This card carries echoes of a woman both embracing and being confined by social conventions. Fire is powerful, transformative. Controlled, it's domesticity. Uncontrolled, it's…well, something other than what is promoted. Editor: That's…a bit darker than I initially thought. It is interesting, this dance between outward appearance and maybe, inner desire? Curator: Indeed! These images were never "just" advertisements. They reflected and reinforced desires, fears, and values. Look closer next time – the most innocuous images often conceal the richest cultural memories. Editor: I never considered the power of suggestion within everyday objects and how that can speak to the complex emotions and roles within that timeframe. Thank you! Curator: It has been a pleasure to explore this symbol, hasn't it? Looking back, even through ephemera like this, offers the most nuanced glimpse into who we were, and are.