Circassian Dancer, from the Dancing Women series (N186) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This chromolithograph of a "Circassian Dancer" comes from a series of collectible cards issued by the American tobacco company, Wm. S. Kimball & Co. The image of the "Circassian" woman, originating from the Caucasus region, was fashionable in the 19th-century Western imagination. Often romanticized as exemplars of beauty, they were, in reality, caught in the crosshairs of Russian expansion. This card, made for commercial purposes, taps into the exotic allure associated with Circassian women. Through its visual codes - the dancer's dress, her tambourine, and pose - the image constructs a fantasy of the Orient that was popular at the time. To truly understand this image, we need to look at the social conditions in which it was produced. Researching periodicals, advertisements, and ethnographic studies of the time can reveal the complex interplay between commercial interests, imperial fantasies, and cultural stereotypes. Only then can we begin to understand the politics of imagery.