Hurdy Gurdy and Hand Organ, from the Musical Instruments series (N121) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1888

Editor: This is an 1888 print, a promotional piece for Honest Long Cut Tobacco by W. Duke, Sons & Co. It's part of the Musical Instruments series and depicts women playing a hurdy-gurdy and hand organ. It's charming! What do you see in this piece, particularly within its historical context? Curator: What immediately strikes me is the commodification of culture and gender roles intertwined with consumerism. This image is not just a depiction of musical instruments; it's a strategic deployment of imagery to appeal to a specific consumer base. Note the romanticized depiction of women. Editor: Romanticized, how so? Curator: These women are presented in idealized, almost theatrical ways, removed from the realities of labor or social struggle. The presence of the musical instruments alongside them isn't just about musicality, it's about constructing a narrative of domestic tranquility and refined taste which were aspirational qualities marketed to the tobacco consumers. Where do these women fit into the broader landscape of women in advertising during that era? Editor: I guess they're reinforcing certain social expectations, connecting those ideals with their product... By purchasing Honest Long Cut Tobacco, were consumers buying into an illusion? Curator: Precisely! This advertisement invites a deeper analysis into how brands utilized imagery and symbolism to subtly enforce certain norms and narratives. Consider how race also plays a role - who is conspicuously absent from these images of leisure and refinement? The exclusion, of course, becomes part of the message. What do you take away from our discussion? Editor: I hadn't thought about the deeper societal implications embedded in something as simple as an advertisement. This really highlights how art is never truly detached from broader power structures. Thank you.