Melpomene, Muse of Tragedy, from the Goddesses of the Greeks and Romans series (N188) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This small chromolithograph of Melpomene, the Muse of Tragedy, was created by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. as part of a larger series of collectible cards. Issued by tobacco companies, these cards were designed to stiffen cigarette packs while also enticing consumers. But their cultural impact went far beyond advertisement. By the late nineteenth century, a deeply conservative sensibility still held sway in the United States. Educational initiatives, together with a fascination for classical antiquity, meant that figures from Greek and Roman mythology became useful for representing the ideal woman: demure, maternal, and committed to the arts. Here, Melpomene holds a dagger, the attribute of tragedy. The imagery of collectible cards served to reinforce an existing social order. To understand this more fully, we might research the advertising industry of the late 1800s, women’s education, and popular attitudes toward classical antiquity. The meaning of even the simplest image is shaped by its cultural and institutional context.