Whisk Broom, from the Novelties series (N122) issued by Gail & Ax Tobacco to promote Navy Long Cut 1889

This is a printed card from a series made by Gail & Ax Tobacco, designed to promote Navy Long Cut. The image is chromolithographed, meaning it was made with a series of printing stones, one for each color. If you look closely, you can see how the image’s material construction influences its appearance. The original photograph would have been separated into layers of color, with each layer applied individually. The goal was verisimilitude, but you can see how the process of mechanically reproducing an image has created a kind of ready-made aesthetic. This card speaks to an interesting crossover between advertising, art, and the modes of production. Chromolithography allowed manufacturers to mass-produce colorful and attractive advertisements. While the original photographs may have been considered art, the resulting cards are more akin to ephemera, connecting with wider issues of labor, politics, and consumption. The amount of work involved in the original design and the printing process is considerable, making it a fascinating artifact.