Brazilian, from World's Smokers series (N33) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

This is “Brazilian, from World’s Smokers series (N33) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes," a lithograph cigarette card made in the late 19th century. Allen and Ginter were pioneers in cigarette card production, a popular marketing tactic at the time. These cards often depicted a range of subjects, from actresses and athletes to, as we see here, men of different nationalities. This card, part of a series focusing on global smokers, reflects the era's fascination with exoticism and cultural appropriation. But this fascination was, of course, entwined with power dynamics. The image presents a constructed version of Brazilian identity through the lens of American commercial interests. Notice the attire: the straw hat, the tailored suit, the meticulously styled mustache. The card suggests an attempt to distill and package Brazilian identity for consumption, much like the cigarettes themselves. The act of smoking, then and now, carries its own set of cultural connotations, often associated with leisure, sophistication, or rebellion. In this context, it becomes a way to brand and sell an idea of global culture, commodifying both identity and habit.