Sour Sop, from the Fruits series (N12) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1891

This is Sour Sop, a chromolithograph card created by Allen & Ginter for their cigarette brands. It’s part of a series that exoticizes fruit alongside a romanticized vision of an ‘oriental’ woman. Consider how the late 19th century was marked by the rise of consumer culture and global trade, alongside the grip of colonialist ideologies. These cards were circulated widely, shaping perceptions and reinforcing racial and cultural stereotypes. Here, the woman is adorned in attire that exoticizes her, her gaze averted in an act of passive observation of the fruit. It presents a vision of otherness, where her identity is flattened to enhance the allure of the fruit and, by extension, the cigarette brand. Such images played a role in constructing and perpetuating societal hierarchies. It’s a poignant reminder of how beauty and desire can be entangled with power dynamics.