Plate 14, from the Fans of the Period series (N7) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1889

Editor: This is Plate 14 from the "Fans of the Period" series, made in 1889 for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. It seems to be a coloured pencil drawing reproduced as a print. It depicts a fashionable woman holding a fan, but there's a commercial aspect to it. I’m curious how we should read an image like this? Curator: Exactly. These cards existed within a complex ecosystem of commercial imagery. Cigarette cards, like this one, became incredibly popular and served as both advertising and collectables. How does its origin as an advertising premium shape our understanding of the piece? Editor: It makes me wonder who the audience was. The cigarette brand seems targeted towards men, but the image portrays an idealized woman. Curator: Good question. How did this image, mass-produced and widely distributed, contribute to the construction of femininity and ideals of beauty in the late 19th century? What aspects of the image, like her pose or the fan itself, strike you as symbolic or culturally revealing? Editor: I guess her downcast gaze might suggest demureness, and the fan adds a touch of exoticism. And is there something implicitly sexual in these kinds of representations intended for men to consume? Curator: Precisely! These images participated in broader societal trends. Think about the era’s fascination with collecting, display, and how women were often objectified within a consumer culture. Editor: That makes so much sense. I hadn't considered it in terms of both consumerism *and* the social expectations of the period. Curator: Thinking about art in this way, considering its circulation and its societal impacts, really gives you a fuller understanding. Editor: Definitely. Thanks for opening my eyes to a more thoughtful view of the artwork!