Takore Sahib of Morvi, India, from the Rulers, Flags, and Coats of Arms series (N126-1) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. 1888

This lithograph, made around 1900 by W. Duke, Sons & Co., might seem a humble artifact, but it has a lot to tell us. Printed on paper, it’s one of a series of trade cards, designed to be collected. But consider what’s depicted: Takore Sahib of Morvi, India, along with heraldry and a flag. The image, like the tobacco product advertised, speaks of global commerce and colonial power. Lithography itself was a relatively new technology at the time, allowing for mass production of colorful images. The very act of collecting these cards speaks to the rise of consumer culture, with its attendant hierarchies of value and taste. The card bridges cultures, but also underscores their unequal relationship. It prompts us to consider the human labor that went into its making, from the factory workers who churned out these images, to the farmers who grew the tobacco, to the people represented in the picture – all caught in a web of economic exchange.