Take Arms, from the Parasol Drills series (N18) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1888

This small card was printed by Allen & Ginter, the Richmond, Virginia cigarette company, as part of a collectible series. Offset lithography made color images like this one relatively inexpensive, so they could be given away to promote sales. The image is of a woman holding a parasol, and is titled ‘Take Arms.’ It’s not exactly fine art, but think about the labor involved here. This wasn't painted; it was printed in huge numbers, part of the engine of mass production. Consider too the division of labor behind this little card. There were the artists who designed the image, the technicians who prepared the printing plates, and the factory workers who cranked these out by the thousands. Cheap paper, vibrant inks, and the relentless logic of the assembly line. It’s a far cry from the singular vision of the artist in the studio, isn't it? But no less important as an object of study.