Order of St. Andrew, Russia, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

Editor: This is "Order of St. Andrew, Russia," a print from 1888 by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, part of their Military Series. It's striking how they’ve incorporated such weighty symbolism—the imperial eagle, the figure of St. Andrew—into what’s essentially cigarette packaging. What's your read on this, especially considering the historical context? Curator: Well, that's precisely the interesting tension, isn't it? Consider the late 19th century. The rise of mass media, industrial production, and expanding markets, like tobacco, were intertwining with imperial displays and national identity. By appropriating the imagery of the Order of St. Andrew, a high honor in Tsarist Russia, Kinney Tobacco was leveraging its prestige. It’s about imbuing their product with a sense of luxury, tradition, and power to appeal to a burgeoning consumer base. How do you see the relationship between commerce and patriotism playing out here? Editor: It’s a bit unsettling to see such sacred and powerful imagery being used to sell cigarettes. It feels almost… disrespectful? Was there much resistance to this kind of appropriation back then? Curator: Resistance is a tricky thing to measure definitively through history, but concerns around the commercialization of culture and national symbols definitely existed. We should consider who had the platforms and power to voice such resistance. More broadly, the popular appeal likely outweighed any widespread outcry. But you're right, the juxtaposition is jarring from our perspective today. The question is, how did the public consumption and interpretation of these images reinforce or challenge established power structures? Editor: That’s a fascinating point. So, it's less about the inherent sacrilege and more about understanding how it functioned within the socio-political landscape of the time. It reframes the conversation entirely. Curator: Precisely. Thinking about this cigarette card forces us to confront the entanglement of art, commerce, and national identity, inviting crucial questions about power and its representation within visual culture. I will definitely be thinking of tobacco cards in a new light from now on.