Six of Hearts, from the Transparent Playing Cards series (N220) issued by Kinney Bros. 1888

Editor: Here we have "Six of Hearts," a playing card from the Transparent Playing Cards series by Kinney Bros., dating back to 1888. It's an etching, a simple design really. It strikes me as quite austere. What can you tell me about it? Curator: What interests me here is the production of this card within the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. This wasn't just art for art's sake; it was a tool, a collectible inserted into tobacco products. How does that context shift your perspective on its austerity? Editor: That's a very valid point. I guess I was seeing it as a stand-alone artwork, and not as a promotional item… Does the medium used here—etching—add to the cultural importance of this simple playing card? Curator: Absolutely. Etching, while a printmaking technique that allows for mass production, still involved skilled labor and the use of materials like metal plates and acids. The fact that they chose this method, even for something seemingly disposable, tells us about the value placed on this process and craft. Does that begin to suggest how we look at mass produced items differently, depending on the means of their making? Editor: So, you’re saying the material processes elevates this above mere commercial ephemera, almost despite itself. Fascinating! I hadn't thought about it in terms of labour and process previously. Curator: Exactly. Consider also the role of tobacco in society at the time, and who the intended consumers were. These cards circulated within a specific economic and social system. Editor: I suppose seeing it now, as something found in packs of tobacco adds another level to what it means and what its legacy is today, which I think is amazing. Curator: And considering how accessible it is displayed here, invites conversation around consumer culture and labour. Editor: I’ll never look at a playing card the same way again!