Happy New Year 1890, from the New Years 1890 series (N227) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889 - 1890

This New Year greeting card was created around 1890 by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, a time of significant social and industrial change. The image shows a woman, presumably a mother, stirring a pot of soup, while a child clings to her. It might seem like a simple domestic scene, but consider the context. The late 19th century saw rising concerns about child labor, and debates about the role of women in the home versus the workplace. The imagery evokes both warmth and unease: a mother seemingly multitasking between domestic duties and childcare, while the soup pot labeled "soup" bubbles ominously, perhaps hinting at the economic hardships faced by many families. The scene reflects both the sentimental idealization of motherhood and the gritty realities of working-class life. This small card invites us to reflect on the complex intersections of family, labor, and social class in the rapidly changing world of the late 19th century.