Wishing You a Happy New Year, from the New Years 1890 series (N227) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889 - 1890

Wishing You a Happy New Year, was made around 1890 as a chromolithograph card distributed by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. These cards were a popular form of advertising and cultural exchange. What strikes me is how this seemingly innocuous New Year's greeting is layered with cultural codes. Notice the twelve figures, each representing a month of the year. The racial homogeneity in their faces reflects the dominant representation of whiteness during this period. They are dressed in attire that is a loose interpretation of medieval garb, perhaps meant to evoke a sense of timeless tradition. However, we might also consider the deeper implications of such imagery. How does the construction of an idealized past serve to reinforce certain social hierarchies? What does it mean to see time itself, the months of the year, embodied by figures who conform to a particular ethnic type? Cards like these offer us a glimpse into the complex interplay between commerce, representation, and cultural identity at the turn of the century. It prompts us to think critically about the messages embedded in even the most seemingly benign objects.