George Washington, from Leaders series (N222) issued by Kinney Bros. 1888

Curator: What strikes you most when you first see this print, entitled "George Washington, from Leaders series," made in 1888 by Kinney Brothers? Editor: I get a kind of heroic cheesiness, actually. It feels like a cross between a history painting and... a really fancy advertisement. Like, Washington staring stoically, then bam! the famous Delaware crossing squeezed in underneath. It’s visually a bit much. Curator: Well, that "bam!" moment is kind of the point, isn't it? These cards were distributed by tobacco companies, primarily as collector's items. Think of it as an early form of marketing meets historical commemoration. The print served a dual function: to sell cigarettes and to subtly reinforce ideals about leadership and national identity. Editor: So, smoking makes you presidential material, eh? The composition, though—it's bizarre. George’s head looks almost pasted onto the boat scene. Curator: And that’s where the appeal comes in. The firm borrowed imagery that referenced history paintings familiar at the time to construct a sort of 'leader as legend' image. It presents Washington as larger-than-life, removed from everyday life—though packaged with a pretty ordinary product. Editor: Legend mixed with sales gimmick, I guess! What always gets me is that stoic face; utterly detached. Did the artists think that's what "leadership" looked like? It reads as aloof rather than strong now. Curator: Aloofness, or maybe an inscrutability, was part of the game back then. Portraying leaders as unflappable figures was important, particularly during times of great social and political upheaval. The mass production and wide distribution of these images, of course, amplified that message. Editor: Okay, point taken. Mass production changed how everyone sees George. I guess what stays with me is how strangely resonant these old commercial images still are. They’re part history, part myth, all sales pitch, mashed together. Curator: Exactly! A material trace of a very specific intersection of commerce, patriotism, and image-making. A reminder of the subtle ways national heroes and their legacies get produced.