A Short History: General William S. Rosecrans, from the Histories of Generals series (N114) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Smoking and Chewing Tobacco 1888

Editor: This is “A Short History: General William S. Rosecrans,” a print from 1888 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. It seems like a colourful drawing used to promote tobacco. The composition is really striking – a profile portrait next to a scene of a soldier with an American flag. What cultural symbols jump out at you? Curator: Well, the most potent is certainly the figure of General Rosecrans himself. Notice how he’s rendered in profile, almost like a Roman emperor on a coin? This immediately lends him an air of authority and historical significance, evoking a connection to classical ideals of leadership. The soldier delivering a message under the flag could point to duty, honor, and the transmission of important news, maybe on the battlefield. Editor: That’s interesting, I hadn’t thought of the Roman emperor connection. I just saw a portrait and a war scene. It is like two different moments in time… So how does this all connect to selling tobacco? Curator: Consider the period: Reconstruction. Images of Civil War generals, even on tobacco cards, were highly charged. Rosecrans represented a fractured union. By associating him with their product, W. Duke, Sons & Co. tapped into the cultural memory of the war, hinting perhaps at ideas of reconciliation, or simply using his fame to capture consumer attention, mostly from men who might associate these images with their identity. Editor: So the company was using history to sell their product by playing on potent symbols? Curator: Precisely. It’s a calculated use of imagery. What do you think of how memory is used through visual imagery to convey meaning? Editor: I see that connecting imagery to memories is key in decoding it. Thank you, that's a new way to understand art. Curator: Indeed. Recognizing the embedded symbols enriches our experience and understanding.