Portrait of woman, from the Novelties series (N228, Type 1) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889

Curator: Let’s look at "Portrait of woman, from the Novelties series (N228, Type 1)," printed in 1889 by Kinney Bros. Tobacco Company. It's a small print, almost miniature-like. Editor: There's a strange innocence to it, yet something about that fixed smile feels incredibly staged. Is it just me? Curator: Consider the historical context. These “novelties” were designed as collectible inserts in tobacco products. The primary function was commercial; they were selling an image, and aspiration. The woman depicted wasn't necessarily a "real" person. She’s a type. Editor: Yes, the woman seems archetypal of that late Victorian "ideal"—perfectly groomed, radiating respectability. It strikes me as propaganda; a reinforcement of gender roles wrapped up in consumerism. These kinds of portraits in these years reflect societal control mechanisms. Curator: From a symbolic point of view, that is interesting because portraits themselves are signifiers of social identity, of power structures and this one also highlights beauty. But that's something we assign as a culture, so how is our reading impacted when a company commodifies the portrait? Does she stand for "ideal beauty", is she merely an archetype for the upper class, or a commodity that invites consumers to experience something akin to power and desire? Editor: That last option hits close to the mark, because these portraits circulated in society becoming conversation pieces that impacted gender relationships and set beauty expectations for young women, and of course there's race in the mix, that these portraits where almost exclusively from White subjects. The impact on collective perception is real. Curator: It’s remarkable how a seemingly innocuous little print can open up so many layers of social meaning. Editor: Precisely! And it compels me to reflect upon today's ubiquitous "image culture"—what kinds of ideals are being manufactured and distributed now, and to what end?