Tuscany, from the Dancing Girls of the World series (N185) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This small chromolithograph was created by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. as part of the “Dancing Girls of the World” series. The image presents a romanticized, and somewhat flattened, vision of a woman from Tuscany, Italy. In her idealized ethnic costume and playful pose, she embodies the exoticism that was popular in the late 19th century. These images were inserted into cigarette packs and were meant to evoke a sense of global awareness, but they often reinforced stereotypes and hierarchies. Consider how the woman's identity is both celebrated and contained within the frame of this small card, simultaneously inviting curiosity while reinforcing the exotic "other." What does it mean to flatten the complexity of a culture into a single image that can fit inside a cigarette pack? The image prompts us to think about the power dynamics inherent in representation, and the ways in which culture can be both a source of pride and a site of exploitation.