Cigar Store Indian 1938

This watercolor painting by Louis Plogsted depicts a "Cigar Store Indian" figure standing on a wheeled base. The figure, dressed in traditional garb, holds a bundle of cigars in one hand and a box of cigars in the other. "Cigar Store Indians" were popular figurines placed outside tobacco shops in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This painting, created in 1938, captures a popular representation of Indigenous Peoples that was commercially widespread in the US during this period. The illustration is a prime example of Americana artwork, depicting the culture and advertising trends of the era.