Hand mirror with woman in floral hat with blue ribbont, from the Novelties series (N122) issued by Gail & Ax Tobacco to promote Navy Long Cut 1889

Editor: This print from 1889 by Gail & Ax Tobacco depicts a woman holding a hand mirror, adorned with flowers and blue ribbons. It’s very charming, almost like a vintage advertisement. How would you interpret this piece? Curator: It’s intriguing, isn't it? On the surface, it’s a decorative image, reflective of the Japonisme craze that had gripped the West. But I wonder if it speaks to something deeper, something about the construction of female identity within a burgeoning consumer culture. How much of this presentation is genuine self-expression, and how much is performative? Editor: Performative? That's an interesting perspective. Could you elaborate? Curator: Think about the context. This was distributed by a tobacco company. The woman, framed by a mirror, becomes both the object and subject of the gaze. It forces us to confront questions around the objectification of women, even within seemingly innocent imagery, during this era. Do you see how the male gaze is baked into its creation? Editor: I never thought about it like that. I was focused on the style and decorative elements. But thinking about who produced it and for what purpose… it definitely shifts my perspective. Curator: Exactly! These images were not created in a vacuum. They participated in constructing ideas around gender, class, and even desire. Editor: This really opens up a completely new layer of meaning for me. It makes me question what appears to be purely decorative and think more about the message embedded within it. Curator: Yes, and hopefully challenges how we interpret historical representations of women.