14th of July, France, from the Holidays series (N80) for Duke brand cigarettes 1890

Curator: What a striking little image! This is one of the "Holidays" series created around 1890 by W. Duke, Sons & Co., a cigarette brand. It's a chromolithograph, a coloured print, titled "14th of July, France." Editor: The lady, with that Phrygian cap… she almost appears to be gliding out of the mists of time. The scene is dramatic, the colors quite evocative. There’s such a sense of forward momentum mixed with serene detachment. It’s really capturing a very strong emotion. Curator: She certainly embodies revolutionary fervor, doesn't she? The Phrygian cap, that loose-fitting tunic, the golden dagger...These are visual shortcuts to 'liberty' and 'revolution.' The colour choices too, lend this a sort of romantic sensibility despite its origin in, let's face it, cigarette packaging. Editor: Exactly! That dagger isn't just any blade. The gold finish hints at the immense value and prestige attached to these ideals. You can feel the tension as though, poised on the brink of history. The background showing a stylized Bastille emphasizes what’s at stake. Curator: The layers are clever, right? This single image attempts to synthesize a historical event and abstract concepts. This card also relies on a certain level of cultural literacy on the part of its 19th-century audience, doesn't it? We see her in this neoclassical garb against a crowd rallying before a stark rendering of The Bastille Editor: Definitely. What’s powerful is the conflation of Liberty personified with raw, historical energy. She’s not just a symbol; she's imbued with action. She beckons us into the memory of that day, an emotional shortcut to a complicated revolution, a past still very alive in 1890! Curator: Indeed. What seemed like a simple advertisement speaks volumes about cultural memory, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. Makes me wonder about what everyday images today will reveal about us to future generations.