Italian, Tamborine Girl, from Types of Nationalities (N240) issued by Kinney Bros. 1890

"Italian, Tamborine Girl," is a lithograph, distributed by Kinney Bros. Tobacco Company as a promotional item. These cards emerged during a period when the burgeoning advertising industry began to capitalize on cultural fascination with global diversity and expanding American markets. This card, part of a series called "Types of Nationalities," reflects the complex interplay between commerce and cultural representation. The image presents an Italian woman, but it's important to ask, what does "Italian" mean in this context? How does it flatten and simplify the diverse experiences of real people into a single image? The card participates in a long history of exoticizing and stereotyping women of color. While appearing to celebrate diversity, it also reinforces dominant cultural norms and hierarchies. The figure of the "Tamborine Girl" becomes a spectacle, commodified for consumption. We are left to question, what does it mean to turn identity into a marketing tool? What stories are lost in this transaction?