Tyrol, from the Races of Mankind series (T181) issued by Abdul Cigarettes 1881

Editor: This is "Tyrol, from the Races of Mankind series," a print from 1881 by Abdul Cigarettes, now at the Met. It's a lovely, almost idealized, portrait of a young woman against a mountainous background. What do you see in this piece from a historical perspective? Curator: Well, what immediately jumps out is the title, "Races of Mankind," juxtaposed with its function as a cigarette card. These cards weren’t just innocent collectables; they actively participated in the popular, yet problematic, 19th-century obsession with categorizing humanity into distinct 'races.' They served as marketing tools that normalized and even celebrated a hierarchical view of cultures. Editor: So, even a seemingly harmless portrait contributed to broader societal narratives? Curator: Precisely. Consider the depiction of the woman: her attire and the mountainous backdrop locate her within a specific region, reinforcing the idea of fixed, geographically bound identities. Ask yourself, what’s the intention of the artist? How does this image portray not only the beauty of the subject but also serve an implicit endorsement of existing power structures and perhaps a romanticized view of 'otherness?' Editor: That's quite a troubling thought. It’s almost like she is presented as an exotic "type," defined by where she's from. It’s strange to see it connected to something as mundane as cigarette advertising. Curator: Indeed. And it highlights the pervasiveness of these ideas in everyday life. We must analyze visual culture critically, examining the values and biases that they encode. Editor: I'll definitely look at these kinds of images differently from now on. The cigarette card suddenly doesn't seem so innocuous! Thanks, this was very helpful. Curator: My pleasure. Examining historical context and socio-political background gives a new appreciation and understanding of this image.