German, from the Natives in Costume series (N16), Teofani Issue, for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1886 - 1900

Editor: This is "German, from the Natives in Costume series (N16), Teofani Issue, for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands," made sometime between 1886 and 1900. It's a small print, with colored-pencil and drawing elements, depicting a man with a pipe. What do you see when you look at this piece, especially thinking about its materials? Curator: It's fascinating how this small, mass-produced print acts as a carrier of cultural information. We need to consider Allen & Ginter as manufacturers deeply involved in the consumer culture of the late 19th century. This image isn’t just a portrait, it's a commodity, distributed with cigarettes. The use of colored pencil in a print—how does that blur the line between original artwork and industrial reproduction? Editor: That's interesting, I hadn't thought about it as blurring those lines. What do you mean? Curator: Well, think about the labor involved. Was each card individually hand-colored? Unlikely. But the *suggestion* of handcraft, through the colored pencil medium, elevates the perceived value. Also, this series depicts "natives," and so we need to look critically at its production and consumption, right? Editor: Definitely. It makes me wonder about the target audience, and how these images shaped their perceptions of different cultures. Curator: Precisely. And how the act of collecting and trading these cards reflects social hierarchies and the consumerism of the period. These cards weren’t high art, but their materiality speaks volumes about production, distribution, and the social context of the time. Editor: So much to think about in something so small. It makes me rethink how everyday objects can carry significant cultural weight. Curator: Absolutely. And analyzing their material production allows us to deconstruct broader social and economic forces.