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

This tiny card, depicting Mecca, was produced by Allen & Ginter, a cigarette company. It’s printed on paper, using lithography – a process that allowed images to be reproduced quickly and cheaply. The card's smooth surface and vibrant colors are a direct result of industrial printing methods, reflecting the rise of mass production in the late 19th century. Each card, churned out in vast quantities, represents a small fragment of a much larger economic engine – the tobacco industry. The image of Mecca, a distant and exotic locale, becomes a collectible item, a tradeable commodity, neatly packaged with each purchase of cigarettes. This speaks to the way consumer culture commodifies not just objects, but also places and cultural identities. The intense labor required to produce tobacco, from the fields to the factory, is embedded within this card's seemingly innocuous surface. Ultimately, this mass-produced image reminds us that even the most unassuming objects are intertwined with broader issues of labor, politics, and consumption.