Fencing, from the Games and Sports series (N165) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This vibrant little card, "Fencing," was made by Goodwin & Company as part of a series to promote Old Judge Cigarettes. It's a chromolithograph – that is, a color print made using multiple lithographic stones, each inked with a different hue. The materiality of chromolithography itself speaks to a specific moment in the history of industrial production. It was a relatively inexpensive way to reproduce images, making them widely accessible. The crisp lines and bright colors are characteristic of this process, and typical of commercial ephemera of the time. But beyond the process, consider the subject matter. The image depicts a fashionable woman in a frame alongside a spirited fencing match. It evokes a sense of leisure and refinement, subtly associating these qualities with the act of smoking a cigarette. The card thus becomes a small window onto the aspirations and social values of its time, a token that links consumerism, sport, and gender. Ultimately, understanding the materials and context of "Fencing" allows us to appreciate its cultural significance, blurring the lines between art, advertising, and social history.