Caricature of African, from World's Smokers series (N33) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

Editor: Here we have a lithograph print, “Caricature of African, from World's Smokers series (N33) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes,” dating to 1888. It’s a small portrait. The word “African” is printed right below the figure, almost like a label. It feels…awkwardly formal. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's part of a larger series that tells us a lot about the late 19th century, a period rife with expansionism and burgeoning consumer culture. These cards were essentially advertisements slipped into cigarette packs. Consider the context: they aimed to associate smoking with sophistication and global appeal. This particular card reflects the exoticized and often stereotyped imagery that was circulated to promote this idea of worldly knowledge and social aspiration. Editor: So, it's not just about smoking but about selling an image of the world? The Ukiyo-e style feels almost contradictory to the caricature. Curator: Exactly. The card borrows stylistic elements – the flatness, the clean lines – but it uses them to depict what was perceived as "other." Ask yourself, what is the effect of placing this stereotype within an art form traditionally associated with elegance and refinement? Whose perspectives and assumptions are privileged here? It serves to highlight power dynamics. Editor: It really makes you think about how we got so used to this kind of imagery. Curator: Indeed. Examining these objects helps us understand the visual language of colonialism and how it permeated everyday life. Advertising like this actively constructed and reinforced cultural hierarchies. Editor: It’s uncomfortable, but important to understand. Curator: Precisely. And understanding its place within a wider culture, we are able to approach it critically, which I think is key here.