Bar Harbor, from the Beautiful Bathers series (N192) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Editor: Here we have “Bar Harbor, from the Beautiful Bathers series” an 1889 print published by William S. Kimball & Co. The bather’s stripes really catch my eye… they’re kind of unexpected. What’s your take on this? Curator: What strikes me is the tension between the presentation of women, the commodification of leisure, and the burgeoning women's rights movement at this time. How might we view this image as participating in the visual language that both celebrated and contained female agency? Editor: Celebrated and contained...that's interesting. Can you elaborate? Curator: Well, consider the context. On one hand, images like this put women’s bodies on display, selling them as objects of desire, much like advertisements do today. But on the other, these “beautiful bathers” suggest a growing independence. They are literally breaking free from more restrictive clothing and venturing into the public sphere of leisure. Editor: So, you're saying that even within an image designed for consumption, there's a subtle message of empowerment? Curator: Precisely. And those colorful stripes, as you pointed out, could be read as a visual signifier of that. Think of them as subtle markers of individuality in an era where women were often pressured to conform. This artwork reflects complex negotiation of social and political expectations for women. What do you think about this new perspective? Editor: I see what you mean. It's almost like the print is performing a balancing act between objectification and liberation. Thank you, that was very helpful. Curator: And for me it’s important to reconsider artworks from the past under current societal debates on female objectification, and cultural depictions.