Lillian Grubb as "Fascination," from the series Fancy Dress Ball Costumes (N73) for Duke brand cigarettes 1889

Curator: What a curious and captivating little image! At first glance, I find myself struck by its aura of serene artificiality. Editor: Let's delve into the context. This piece, rendered with colored pencils and printmaking techniques, is part of a series of cigarette cards produced around 1889 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. The card showcases Lillian Grubb costumed as "Fascination" for a fancy dress ball. These cards, found within cigarette packs, gained popularity as collectibles and promotional items, highlighting contemporary actresses and social figures. Curator: Fascination... indeed! From an iconographic perspective, the most salient features are, undoubtedly, the reptiles. The woman's dress and background blend into a unified, light and dreamy pastel tone, contrasting heavily with the more brightly colored reptiles, drawing your immediate focus to them. She wears a rather large reptile upon her headpiece as a hat, while her arm has been encircled by another in what looks like a bracelet. The presence of the snake has diverse associations in different traditions, as it could reference primal instincts or allude to mythology and classic notions of seductive temptation. It really lends itself to that tension between allure and danger suggested by the term "fascination." Editor: Interesting. Looking at this through a contemporary lens, I find myself contemplating the role of women in advertising during this era, especially concerning representations that capitalize on themes like "fascination" through performative exoticism, sexuality, or danger. It evokes some challenging and nuanced socio-cultural questions. Considering that the primary audience for the product was almost certainly men, do the implications here take on another layer? Does it seem demeaning in ways we may not recognize on first viewing? What are the subtle underlying messages being conveyed? Curator: The woman is a perfect canvas for that projection—the face and makeup on display are understated, allowing the reptiles and title to carry most of the image’s intended message, playing heavily into pre-established associations for both symbols to get their intent across quickly. Her pose seems almost incidental in the way it defers to these icons of ‘fascination’. Editor: Ultimately, "Lillian Grubb as 'Fascination'" presents a compelling case study for considering the confluence of art, commerce, and societal ideologies in the late 19th century. Curator: I couldn’t agree more; what this image and the other cigarette cards signify and represent about the epoch in which they emerged are essential areas for us to explore and appreciate.