American Indian, from Types of Nationalities (N240) issued by Kinney Bros. 1890

This small chromolithograph, titled "American Indian," was produced by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. Note the stark contrast between the 'American Indian' and his assumed role in society. The composition centres on a portrait, framed tightly, with a gaze that meets the viewer head-on. The man's features are rendered with an unflinching eye, his skin tones a mix of browns and reds, set against the speckled background. He is dressed in a suit, an overt symbol, and holds a pack of 'Sweet Caporal' cigarettes. The tension between his traditional roots and the trappings of modernity creates a visual dissonance, the artist challenging fixed notions of identity and representation. The text further complicates the image, proclaiming him "no longer an object of woe" but a "civilized Arapahoe." The company, through this image, isn't simply selling cigarettes; it is selling an idea, one that raises questions about assimilation, cultural identity, and the power of the gaze.