Admiral Second Rank, Japan, from the Naval Flags series (N17) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1886 - 1891

Editor: So, this is "Admiral Second Rank, Japan, from the Naval Flags series," dating back to 1886-1891 by Allen & Ginter. It's a lithograph – a print – with watercolor and colored pencil elements. It feels very...collected, like a memory. What leaps out at you? Curator: Well, my eye dances first to that central flag, stark against a tumultuous sky, and then lingers on the battleship. There’s a touch of exoticism here, wouldn't you agree? Sort of a dream of Japan from Richmond, Virginia. It's like peeking into a very curated fantasy world of late 19th-century America. I wonder, what kind of stories were these cigarette cards whispering to people back then? What do you imagine someone feeling as they flipped this over while having a smoke? Editor: That's a really evocative question. Maybe a sense of adventure? Or perhaps just a longing for the unknown? It’s funny to think that something like this would be packaged with cigarettes. It's beautiful, though, very dreamlike. Curator: Exactly. The combination of the 'high art' subject matter, those watercolour washes mimicking ukiyo-e prints, married to, well, something disposable, something slightly forbidden – it speaks volumes about shifting cultural values at the time. I find it fascinating how Allen & Ginter used "Orientalism," didn't they, playing with perceived exoticism for commercial gain. It feels almost like cultural tourism in a tiny, rectangular frame. What's your read on their artistic choices, considering the colonial context? Editor: It’s definitely complex, seeing the romanticized view alongside the potential for cultural appropriation. It's like, on the one hand, they’re appreciating the aesthetics, but on the other…they're reducing an entire culture to a little card. Curator: Precisely! This little card becomes a mirror, reflecting both a fascination with other cultures and a colonial gaze that’s hard to ignore. It seems to be like… cultural exchange and something darker are right next to each other in this image. Food for thought. Editor: Definitely gives a lot to unpack. I guess even a little cigarette card can hold a whole world of meaning!