Nebraska, from Flags of the States and Territories (N11) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1888

Curator: This lithograph from 1888, "Nebraska, from Flags of the States and Territories," by Allen & Ginter, has so much to say about late 19th-century America, doesn't it? Editor: It's striking! It reminds me of a vintage postcard. What gets me is how they’ve combined this almost idealized scene of westward expansion with, well, a cigarette ad. What do you make of it? Curator: The means of production are key here. It was explicitly designed as a promotional item, a lithograph tucked into a pack of cigarettes. So, right away, we have this blurring of the lines between art, commerce, and this idealized vision of American labor. The central image of the blacksmith isn't just symbolic. Editor: Of course. You mean it’s reflecting a moment when manufacturing and skilled labor were central to ideas about national identity? Curator: Precisely. And notice how the state motto "Equality Before the Law" is incorporated, seemingly without irony, above an image linked directly to industrial production. Consider the material reality behind "equality"—who actually benefited from this period of growth, and at what cost? What class and racial biases were inherently involved in the materials and consumption depicted? Editor: So, it's less about Nebraska itself and more about what it represented in the context of a rapidly industrializing nation, fueled by consumer culture and… well, tobacco. Curator: Exactly. This simple print exposes a fascinating intersection of consumerism, idealized labor, and state identity, brought to us courtesy of the tobacco industry. Editor: That's a much richer reading than I initially expected. Seeing the art in the advertisement—or vice versa—reveals hidden histories. Curator: And shows how everyday objects are embedded within complex networks of production and cultural meaning.