President of Honduras, from World's Sovereigns series (N34) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1889

This tiny portrait of the President of Honduras was made by Allen and Ginter for their cigarette packs. These cards, made of paper, were chromolithographed, a printing technique using multiple stones or plates to transfer different colors, resulting in a vibrant image. Consider the material of this card, paper, and the mode of production which is lithography, as it speaks volumes about the era in which it was made. These cards were not fine art prints. They were mass-produced collectibles, distributed with tobacco products. They were meant to be collected, traded, and consumed as ephemera. The portrait is surrounded by ornament and heraldry. The goal was to evoke a sense of worldly sophistication in the consumer. But in the end, this card is more of an emblem of mass production than it is of Honduran sovereignty. It highlights the vast, global reach of the tobacco industry, and the imperialist context in which it flourished. So the next time you see a small printed card like this, remember that its meaning is wrapped up in its materials and the economic forces that brought it into being.