Atlantic City, from the Fancy Bathers series (N187) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Editor: So, this charming piece is called "Atlantic City, from the Fancy Bathers series," created around 1889 by William S. Kimball & Co. It's a mix of drawing, watercolor, and colored pencil on, I believe, a print. I'm really drawn to the colors – they feel both vibrant and faded at the same time. What catches your eye when you look at this? Curator: It's delightful, isn’t it? You know, beyond the snapshot of a beach outing, I see a whisper of changing social tides. Women at the beach, even in what looks like very modest swimwear, hints at burgeoning freedoms. The artist, through a very soft color palette, evokes a kind of wistful nostalgia, as if yearning for simpler, innocent days, but were they ever really like that? Editor: That’s interesting! I was so focused on the cute dog I almost missed the undercurrent. So, it’s not *just* a simple scene, it's making a statement? Curator: Well, these "Fancy Bathers" cards were advertisements, designed to entice. Think of them as a visual sales pitch that offers not just a product – tobacco, in this case - but also a lifestyle, aspirations…dreams. How cleverly seductive is that? Tell me what kind of statement YOU think that lady is making. Editor: Hmm. Perhaps it’s about accessibility to leisure for everyone, beyond the elite. I am guessing, though! Curator: Perhaps! It's more about gently inviting the viewer to fantasize! The somewhat odd proportions of the bather... it almost seems less about reality and more about a fleeting, dreamlike state. That dog mirrors what a tobacco consumer is like - a yearning companion always desiring attention. Editor: Wow, I never thought about advertisements that way! It's like a layered narrative, with social commentary hidden beneath the surface of what looks simple. Curator: Exactly! And isn't that where art always seems to find its intrigue, where what you initially see blooms to reveal much more than first impressions suggest? It tickles your brain, doesn’t it? Editor: Absolutely. My brain feels quite tickled! Thanks for the new perspective on an old advertisement!