Roumania, from the Dancing Girls of the World series (N185) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

"Roumania" from the Dancing Girls of the World series was made by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. as a lithograph card, and like the rest of the series, it was an insert in cigarette packs. These cards reflect the late 19th-century cultural fascination with the "exotic." They were also tools of commerce, feeding into and creating stereotypes about foreign cultures. What is the relationship between fantasy and reality? This image attempts to capture a sense of Romanian identity, but the artist's gaze inevitably shapes the representation. In the image, the woman's clothing and jewelry denote “Roumania” and signal an “authentic” ethnicity, while her bare chest alludes to the Western male gaze that often exoticizes women of color. This card underscores how representations of women are inextricably linked to historical and social power structures. The image offers us a window into a time of great cultural exchange, but it also makes visible the complex power dynamics inherent in that exchange. It beckons us to consider how cultural narratives are constructed and perpetuated, and it invites us to reflect on how we, as viewers, engage with representations of identity.