J.B. McCullagh, St. Louis Globe-Democrat, from the American Editors series (N1) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1887

This small card featuring J.B. McCullagh, editor of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, was one of many inserted into cigarette packs by Allen & Ginter. The chromolithographic process used here allowed for mass production. Transferring images to stones or metal plates, one color at a time, meant that countless copies could be made quickly. The result is smooth and standardized, which was exactly the point. These cards weren't meant to last; they were ephemera, pure and simple. But it's precisely this connection to mass production and consumption that makes them so fascinating today. The cards speak volumes about the rise of consumer culture, the marketing of tobacco, and the value placed on celebrity, even in the late 19th century. Consider the amount of labor involved in every step of the process, from growing the tobacco to printing these cards. These cards blurred the lines between art, advertising, and everyday life, challenging our traditional notions of what art can be.