Herring, from the series Fishers and Fish (N74) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888

Editor: This lithograph, "Herring," comes from a series called "Fishers and Fish," printed around 1888 by Knapp & Company as a cigarette card. I'm struck by its simplicity, and also the attempt to give this commercially-produced card a kind of artistic feel. What do you see in this little print? Curator: I'm interested in how something like a humble herring becomes more than just a fish here. The aquatic realm has often signified the unconscious in symbolic language, representing the hidden depths of our minds. To see this fish framed and presented evokes not only its presence as an edible commodity but perhaps something deeper. Editor: Deeper like… the sea itself? Or human reliance on it? Curator: Indeed! Also, consider how images function in mass culture. This card isn't high art; it's a signal within a specific cultural and economic system of trade. Do you notice how its impressionistic style attempts to imbue the common cigarette with a sense of elevated beauty and aspiration? Editor: That’s a great point – so the symbolic weight isn't inherent to the fish, but conferred upon it, in part by the style it's presented in and by the consumer culture that produced it. Curator: Precisely! We read both the object – fish equals food – and its presentation; impressionistic art equals fine culture. It's all entwined to create something greater than the sum of its parts, and also to generate value for the Duke brand. Editor: It’s fascinating how this small, mass-produced card speaks to so much. Thanks, I hadn’t considered all those angles. Curator: And I hadn't considered it simply as a cigarette card at first! Looking closely reveals layers of meaning and purpose embedded within what might seem a simple image.