Tartary, from the Races of Mankind series (T181) issued by Abdul Cigarettes 1881

"Tartary" from the Races of Mankind series was issued by Abdul Cigarettes in 1881. This small card, now held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, reflects a late 19th-century fascination with categorizing humanity. The image presents a man, identified as a Tartar, adorned in traditional attire. What’s striking is the way this image participates in the era’s scientific racism. In the late 19th century, anthropology was emerging as a discipline, often intertwined with imperialist ambitions. These cards, distributed with consumer goods, served to disseminate and normalize racial hierarchies. Tartary, a region with a complex history, becomes reduced to a single, stereotypical image. To truly understand this image, we must consider the visual culture of the time and the institutional forces that shaped its creation and circulation. Old ethnographic texts, travelogues, and even company archives can shed light on the social conditions that allowed such images to flourish. The meaning of this card is contingent on its historical context, reminding us of the power of art to reflect, reinforce, and sometimes, challenge the norms of its time.