Emperor of Brazil, from World's Sovereigns series (N34) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1889

This is a lithograph trading card of the Emperor of Brazil, made by Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. It’s a small chromolithograph, a color printing technique that uses multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, layering them to create a complete image. The card stock itself is humble, yet the printing process adds a layer of complexity. The portrait, the coat of arms, and the decorative backdrop all point to the way the company made use of this period of consumerism. It was a classic example of late 19th-century advertising, designed to be collected and traded, building brand loyalty in the process. These cards were produced on a mass scale. The subject is a world leader, but the card itself is a product of industrial techniques, and a symbol of the hierarchies of labor, commerce, and cultural exchange inherent to the mass production of the time. By appreciating the material and its modes of production, we acknowledge the complex intersection of art, commerce, and society.