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

"Helgoland," from the "Fancy Bathers" series of trade cards issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co., depicts a woman in a patterned bathing suit standing in the sea, holding a small white object above her head. This trade card, printed in 1889, was likely part of a larger set advertising Kimball & Co.’s products. The use of vibrant color and a stylized figure is typical of chromolithographic trade cards from the late 19th century, a popular form of advertising that sought to appeal to consumers with eye-catching imagery.