Jacobin, from The World's Racers series (N32) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

This small chromolithograph of the racehorse Jacobin was produced by Allen & Ginter, a cigarette company based in Richmond, Virginia, as part of "The World's Racers" series. These cards were included in cigarette packs, reflecting a late 19th-century culture deeply embedded in both tobacco consumption and a fascination with racing. The image presents a poised racehorse and rider, idealized and immaculate. However, the history of horse racing is intertwined with issues of class, race, and labor. Often, enslaved or working-class men were employed as jockeys and grooms, yet they remained largely unacknowledged in the official narratives of the sport. The name "Jacobin," evokes the French Revolution. This name perhaps alludes to a desire for radical change. Yet, the card, distributed by a company profiting from tobacco, glosses over the realities of labor and power that underpinned both industries. The romanticized portrayal invites us to consider what stories are told and, importantly, which ones are left out. It's in those gaps that we can reflect on the complex social fabric of the time.