Thomas A. Edison, printer's sample for the World's Inventors souvenir album (A25) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

Allen & Ginter Cigarettes produced this printer's sample for the World's Inventors souvenir album, featuring Thomas A. Edison. Made during an era captivated by innovation and progress, this card reflects how commercial interests elevated figures like Edison to celebrity status. Think about the implications of associating him with a product as addictive and dangerous as cigarettes. The card presents Edison in a conventional, almost idealized manner, befitting his status as an icon of American ingenuity. But it also subtly reveals the complexities of identity and representation in a rapidly changing society. It invites us to consider how heroes are constructed, and the uncomfortable intersections of commerce, celebrity, and public health.