George Abel, The Baltimore Sun, from the American Editors series (N35) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1887

This is a baseball-card sized lithograph of George Abel, editor of The Baltimore Sun, made by Allen & Ginter as part of their American Editors series. These cards were inserted into cigarette packs, a marketing tactic that spoke to the cultural values of the late 19th century. On the left, the Washington Monument in Baltimore acts as a backdrop, and on the right, a portrait of Abel, framed by the newspaper's masthead. The pairing situates Abel within the landscape of American ideals and progress. As an editor, Abel was a gatekeeper, shaping public discourse through the narratives he chose to amplify. But it also prompts questions about who was excluded from these narratives, and whose voices went unheard. The card becomes more than a simple portrait; it's a snapshot of the power dynamics inherent in media, and who had access to it. Ultimately, this small card offers us insight into the construction of identity, the circulation of ideas, and the stories we choose to tell about ourselves.