Parallel Bars Exercise, from the Pretty Athletes series (N196) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

"Parallel Bars Exercise," a chromolithograph from the "Pretty Athletes" series issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. in 1889, portrays a woman in a red and white striped leotard performing a gymnastic exercise on parallel bars. This image is representative of the late 19th-century interest in physical fitness and the growing popularity of women's athletics. The print is a beautiful example of the chromolithographic printing process, which was commonly used for trade cards and other commercial illustrations during this period. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City houses this piece.