New Orleans, from the City Flags series (N6) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1887

This small chromolithograph of New Orleans was made for Allen and Ginter Cigarettes in the late 19th century as part of a series on city flags. The image is neatly divided: the upper half features the city’s flag, an emblem replete with historical and cultural references, while the lower half presents a picturesque view of New Orleans, complete with the St. Louis Cathedral and an equestrian statue, likely of Andrew Jackson. Allen and Ginter Cigarettes were based in Richmond, Virginia, during a period of intense regional and national identity formation, after the Civil War. Tobacco cards such as these served as vehicles for promoting a certain vision of American culture and history. Historians interested in understanding the cultural landscape of the late 19th century might consult such ephemera alongside newspapers, advertisements, and other visual and textual sources. The image becomes a window into understanding how cities like New Orleans sought to represent themselves.