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

This photogravure is a promotional portrait from a series made in the United States by the Wm. S. Kimball & Company. The image is an idealised representation of white, feminine beauty. The woman’s dress is in the classical style that was popular at the time and her face is framed by curls with a fashionable striped headband. These images are examples of a burgeoning advertising culture. The portrait would have been included in cigarette packs and other consumer products. While seemingly innocuous, these kinds of images contributed to the construction of social norms. The company traded on popular conceptions of beauty to promote its products. The portraits are visual codes which reflect social and economic power structures, and we might question what the place of art is in reinforcing such structures. Understanding the production and reception of images such as this requires that we explore diverse historical materials, from business records to popular media.