Romania, from the International Cards series (N238), issued by Kinney Bros. 1888

Curator: Here we have "Romania, from the International Cards series," printed around 1888 by Kinney Brothers. Editor: This lithograph has such an ornate design! It makes me think of old postcards, a snapshot of another place and time… What do you see in it? Curator: You're right, it has that faded grandeur. I get the impression of it as a sort of portable symbol. I mean, imagine collecting these "cards"—bits of faraway lands, rulers, heraldry… all shrunk down, ready to slip into your pocket. It whispers tales of how a nation's identity can become a commodity, neatly packaged for consumption. Notice how they've framed “Romania” *within* a frame—almost as if to say, "look, here it is, all contained for you." Makes you wonder what gets lost in that neat containment, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely, especially as a piece produced by a tobacco company. The connection feels…complicated. Does the “orientalism” tag play into that at all? Curator: Precisely! How does this image, created from afar, construct the idea of "Romania" for, most likely, an American audience? The ‘Order of Hohenzollern,’ the national flag - all these motifs become flattened symbols. Are they trying to distill a nation to just a few easily digestible emblems? It reminds me of my aunt's habit of summarizing novels after reading only the first and last chapters. Editor: I hadn’t thought of it like that—almost like an oversimplification to promote a product. Curator: Indeed! So, next time you see such an image, remember that it offers both a glimpse and a simplification. What histories, do you think, get left untold? Editor: That is very useful advice, and really changes the way I understand these images. Thanks.