Narragansett Pier, from the Beautiful Bathers series (N192) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Editor: This is "Narragansett Pier, from the Beautiful Bathers series," dating to 1889, by William S. Kimball & Co., currently housed at The Met. It's a drawing, seemingly a colored-pencil print. It’s quite a startling image – such a formal pose for the beach, almost comical! What strikes you when you look at this? Curator: Oh, that bathing suit! It practically screams Victorian propriety meets playful seaside charm. It's as if they took a drawing room dress and just... chopped the legs off! Can't you imagine the rustling of that satin ribbon, even underwater? I find the whole thing rather captivating, don't you? Editor: Absolutely! It's such an odd mix of playful and restrained. Why do you think these types of images were so popular back then? Curator: These images weren’t necessarily trying to be high art; they are advertisements. And advertisements reflect, but also mold, the desires and dreams of the day. This print whispers of a newly accessible leisure culture, the thrill of the beach tempered with a need for "respectable" fun. They weren't just selling tobacco; they were selling a lifestyle, a fantasy! And don't we all buy into that still, in some small way? Editor: That makes so much sense! I hadn’t really considered it from a consumer culture perspective. Curator: Isn’t it fabulous? We’re left with this fascinating snapshot of a world balancing old ideals and new freedoms. A bathing beauty who is more than meets the eye. Editor: I’ll definitely be looking at advertising with a fresh pair of eyes now. Thanks for the insight!