Saraband, from National Dances (N225, Type 1) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889

Editor: Here we have "Saraband, from National Dances" made in 1889 by Kinney Bros., a lithograph print on paper. The dancers’ colorful costumes really catch the eye! What stands out to you about it? Curator: This lithograph, originally a tobacco card, speaks volumes about the consumption and distribution of images in the late 19th century. The production of these cards was an industrial process, linking art with commodity culture. The Orientalist style… what kind of labor do you imagine produced the stone matrix, printing and card-cutting of each image? Editor: That's an interesting way to consider it. I was focused on the artistic choices, not so much the physical making. So, these cards, intended to be disposed of, show an image manufactured and distributed like any other mass consumer product? Curator: Exactly. Consider the division of labor. The artists, the lithographers, the printers, the factory workers assembling the cigarette packs… each a small cog in the machine that delivers these exotic images to a Western audience. It raises questions about value – what’s the perceived value of this ‘art’ and to whom? Editor: So the act of producing and distributing this seemingly innocuous image involves multiple levels of production, labor, and cultural messaging, impacting its meaning? Curator: Precisely. Even the materials – the paper, the inks – where did they come from? Whose labor extracted them? The very existence of this print hinges on complex global networks of resource extraction and exploitation. How do we assign value and what responsibilities do image-makers, sellers, and audiences alike bear? Editor: Wow, I'll never look at trading cards the same way. Thanks! Curator: It certainly changes your perspective, doesn't it?