Captain Lewis, Chasing a Merchantman, from the Pirates of the Spanish Main series (N19) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1886 - 1891

Editor: Here we have "Captain Lewis, Chasing a Merchantman," a color print from Allen & Ginter's "Pirates of the Spanish Main" series, dating back to sometime between 1886 and 1891. It’s such a strange combination of a really dramatic subject—a pirate chase—rendered with this delicate, almost pastel-like coloring. It feels both exciting and a bit… tame? What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: You know, I’m completely drawn into the narrative dissonance you pointed out. It's like a vintage postcard of adventure, drained of all the usual blood and thunder. There's a dreaminess to the sea, almost as if Captain Lewis is chasing not a ship, but an ideal, something intangible, receding always into the horizon. And look at the details - like a watercolour - in this cheap mass produced print. Who were the original consumers? What did they see in this portrait? Editor: I hadn’t thought about the idealized aspect! It really shifts the focus. The ship looks more like it's floating along peacefully than desperately fleeing. Who needs an action film when you can have romanticised imperialism with your smoke? Curator: Exactly! And does the actual *ship* matter, or is it the suggestion of open seas, a life of freedom beyond social restraint that's so enticing? Does it prompt yearnings beyond their ordinary reality? Think of a worker maybe stuck in the new factories - for them, this tiny image of freedom may be so poignant. It certainly makes me crave open waters. Don't you agree? Editor: Absolutely. Now I’m imagining rows and rows of factory workers pining for the open ocean… a beautiful way to look at this. Thanks so much! Curator: My pleasure! It always boils down to freedom, doesn’t it? A longing encoded within.