Sainte Brelade, from the Fancy Bathers series (N187) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This small chromolithograph entitled Sainte Brelade, from the Fancy Bathers series was issued by the Wm. S. Kimball & Co.. Part of a series produced by a tobacco company, this image reflects the evolving roles and representations of women in the late 19th century. We see a woman in a bathing costume which, while modest by contemporary standards, signifies a shift towards more active and visible roles for women in public life. The image reflects the constraints of Victorian society, which simultaneously celebrated and sexualized the female form. This tension speaks to broader issues of gender and class, as leisure activities like sea-bathing were becoming increasingly accessible to the middle class, altering social norms and expectations around female behavior and appearance. While seemingly a simple advertisement, this card encapsulates the complex negotiations of identity and representation during a transformative period in social history.