Mt. St. Michel, France, from the Surf Beauties series (N232), issued by Kinney Bros. 1889

Curator: Well, isn't this a captivating piece! We're looking at a lithograph called "Mt. St. Michel, France, from the Surf Beauties series" printed in 1889 by Kinney Bros. Editor: It has such a dreamy quality, like a memory fading into the sunset. The colours are muted, but that splash of red from her stockings really pops. Curator: Exactly! It's interesting because Kinney Brothers was a tobacco company, and these images were collectible cards included in their cigarette packs. It was a marketing tactic, of course, but they're surprisingly well-executed. Editor: The woman is undeniably the focal point here. She has a rather serene look to her. It’s odd – why put her in front of Mt. St. Michel? What narrative is being suggested? Curator: Maybe it’s about accessibility – placing the historical landmark alongside the contemporary woman. A bridge between old and new perhaps. Editor: Or perhaps it’s something to do with consumer culture, how women’s bodies, fashion, and travel can all be commodified and consumed simultaneously. There's something deeply unsettling about that for me. But beyond all, that red does command attention! Curator: Red captures passion and desire… or, given Kinney Brother’s agenda, could it signal something less profound – pure spectacle. Editor: Definitely, especially considering the Japonisme influence we see here – that flattening of perspective, the decorative pattern... It all seems so constructed and artificial when put under the lens of capitalist desire. Curator: Well, putting aside the commercial context and art theories for a brief moment, I confess a slight attraction for its beauty. A bit of eye-candy – why resist it all the time? Editor: A difficult request for some! Regardless, it invites a myriad of readings, wouldn’t you agree? Curator: Absolutely, a rich conversation opener. So often these little historical nuggets are much more thought-provoking than one expects.