Alden J. Blethen, The Minneapolis Tribune, from the American Editors series (N35) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1887

This card, from Allen & Ginter’s “American Editors” series, presents Alden J. Blethen of the Minneapolis Tribune against a backdrop of his city. The composition divides the scene into distinct registers: earth, water, buildings, and sky, each rendered with a pointillist technique. The structured composition suggests a semiotic framing: a portrait alongside a landscape, each signifying elements of Blethen’s identity and influence. The use of the river and mills visually encodes progress and industry, while the portrait—framed like a newspaper—hints at the power of the press. By juxtaposing the man with the cityscape, Allen & Ginter comment on the relationship between individual identity and the urban landscape. The card thus functions as a sign, inviting us to decode its cultural and economic values inherent in this image.