Coasting, from the Games and Sports series (N165) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

Curator: So, here we have “Coasting,” a trade card from 1889 by Goodwin & Company, originally included in Old Judge Cigarettes packs. It seems to be a print of some kind, depicting a winter scene. The color lithography is striking, though it feels very posed. What strikes you about it? Editor: Well, it's interesting how it’s a leisure scene intended to sell tobacco. I'm wondering how this image was mass-produced and disseminated, and its connection to consumer culture at the time. What's your perspective on how these materials and processes influence its meaning? Curator: Precisely! Let's think about the materials themselves: inexpensive card stock, mass-produced through color lithography. This speaks volumes. Cigarette cards were essentially disposable items, yet they showcase skilled labor and artistic choices. These cards democratized art, in a way, bringing images into the daily lives of working people. It also highlights the consumer culture and production of goods such as tobacco in the late 19th century. Does that change how you view the figures depicted, engaging in winter activities? Editor: Definitely. It shifts my perspective from simply seeing a pretty winter scene to thinking about how leisure activities were being packaged and sold along with commodities. It makes me wonder about who was being targeted as consumers and how the company marketed pleasure through idealized images of recreation. Curator: Exactly. Consider how the image's material reality and means of production impact its artistic value and social significance. Also, notice how the very format as trade cards also promoted a culture of collecting. What does it mean to collect and trade such pieces? Editor: That adds another layer – the card as both advertisement and collectible commodity. It seems the value lies in the accessibility and exchange rather than in a singular artistic genius. I never considered that a small cigarette card could reveal so much about the economics of art. Curator: And its relationship with wider social practice, wouldn't you say? Now, imagine the sheer volume produced...