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

This small card, "Long Beach," was printed by the Wm. S. Kimball & Company as part of a series, and was included in packs of cigarettes. It is a chromolithograph, a now-obsolete technology that allowed images to be mass-produced with a full range of colors. A separate stone was used for each color, printed in careful registration to achieve the final image. This was a laborious process, requiring great skill. The result is fascinating; the image is a luxury item, but one that was widely accessible, distributed through the everyday commodity of tobacco. The subject matter also speaks to the rise of consumer culture. Here, leisure is a commodity, to be enjoyed and consumed like any other. The card is also a small window into the labor practices of the time, reminding us that every image, however small, is the product of skilled human work. It is a reminder of how deeply materials, making, and context affect our understanding.