Portrait, from the Women's Portraits series (N198) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Editor: Here we have a portrait from the "Women's Portraits" series (N198) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. in 1889. It’s a print, a drawing. The woman looks rather serious and wistful. What strikes you about this image? Curator: This portrait, part of a tobacco card series, gives us a glimpse into the commodification of images and identities in the late 19th century. Kimball & Co. used these cards as a marketing strategy, distributing images of actresses and other prominent women to boost cigarette sales. What do you make of the printing technique and its effects? Editor: It's interesting – it almost feels like a caricature but the details are quite fine. The print gives it an everyday feel but at the same time makes it feel very distant. Curator: Exactly. These prints helped disseminate idealized images of women to a wider audience. Did this contribute to a democratic ideal of representation, or did it reinforce existing social hierarchies by presenting a narrow definition of beauty and success? Editor: It feels a little exploitative when you look at it like that. These women were being used to sell cigarettes. I wonder how much they were involved in this imagery. Curator: The women often had little control over the use of their likeness. This period saw the rise of advertising and mass media, industries that profited from portraying individuals in specific ways. What kind of power dynamic does it imply? Editor: It suggests that the power to represent women was in the hands of corporations rather than with the women themselves. I hadn't really considered it like that at first. Curator: Analyzing images like these reveals the social, cultural, and institutional forces at play in shaping how we perceive individuals and groups. Hopefully you see art and marketing in a different light. Editor: Absolutely, I learned a lot, thank you for helping me appreciate this art in context.