Livorno, from the Beautiful Bathers series (N192) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This vibrant card, "Livorno," comes from a series called "Beautiful Bathers" issued by the Wm. S. Kimball & Co. It's a chromolithograph, a color printing technique that was revolutionary in its time. The process involved creating multiple printing stones, each inked with a different color, then carefully layering them on top of each other. Look closely, and you can see a slight misregistration of the colors, a charming imperfection that reveals the labor-intensive nature of the medium. Chromolithography allowed for mass production of colorful images, making art accessible to a wider audience. These cards were often included in cigarette packs, a clever marketing strategy that also speaks to the rise of consumer culture. The choice of subject matter is interesting too, depicting leisure and beauty, which became increasingly valued in an industrializing society. So, next time you see a chromolithograph, remember that its meaning lies not only in the image itself, but also in the history of its making and the social context in which it was created.