Isle of Shoals, New Hampshire, from the Surf Beauties series (N232), issued by Kinney Bros. 1889

This small chromolithograph, Isle of Shoals, New Hampshire, was created by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as part of their “Surf Beauties” series. Made during an era of increasing industrialization and urbanization, these cards offered an idealized vision of leisure and beauty. Yet this image also speaks to the constraints and expectations placed on women at the time. Here, a woman is depicted in a bathing costume that covers much of her body, reflecting the modesty expected of women in public spaces. Her gaze is directed downwards, embodying a demure posture. The image raises questions about the representation of the female body in the late 19th century, and how commercial images contributed to the construction of gender roles and societal expectations. While seemingly innocent, the Surf Beauties subtly enforced the era’s conservative norms, reminding us that even images of leisure can be laden with cultural meaning.