Casimir Pulaski, from the Great Generals series (N15) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1888

This chromolithograph of Casimir Pulaski, one of a series of Great Generals produced for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes, presents us with a fascinating array of symbols. Prominently displayed in the upper-right corner is a peculiar image: a Phrygian cap impaled on a sword. The cap, historically worn by freed slaves in antiquity, became an emblem of liberty during the French and American Revolutions. In this image, its piercing by a sword infuses it with complex tension. The sword, a symbol of military prowess and honor, stands in stark contrast to the cap’s representation of freedom. This pairing evokes the inherent conflict between liberation and the violence often necessary to achieve it. We see echoes of this tension in Delacroix’s "Liberty Leading the People" and in the countless depictions of martyrs who gave their lives for freedom. The cigarette card’s symbol is a potent reminder of the cyclical nature of history, where symbols of freedom are forever intertwined with symbols of conflict.