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

Curator: I see a peculiar card... Almost feels like it belongs in a deck of tarot cards for history buffs. Editor: It’s a promotional trading card! This one dates to 1888, made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to hawk their Honest Long Cut Smoking and Chewing Tobacco. The subject? General A.E. Burnside. Curator: Burnside! The mutton chops are a dead giveaway, even for those unfamiliar with the Civil War figures. There's a strange air of... gentility mixed with blatant marketing. Editor: A curious blend, indeed. Observe the compositional strategy here. The card presents itself in a series of framed vignettes: Burnside's portrait at the top, followed by product placement, and culminating in what seems to be a patriotic tableau. Note how color is used to unify these disparate elements. Curator: Those colors have such a comforting nostalgia about them, yet there is something slightly sinister when thinking about the historical figures featured in advertisements. It almost suggests we're buying into a piece of history for a quick dopamine fix, a strange parallel to how these folks become figures in our imaginations anyway. Editor: This points to the power of popular imagery and its ability to shape perceptions, particularly concerning historical memory. Even the typography is carefully constructed; observe the font choices, how they shift to delineate the informational hierarchy. The rendering of Burnside, for example, softened by the colored pencils, humanizes him, turning him into a relatable figure. Curator: Do you ever wonder what Burnside himself would make of all this? It’s one thing to lead troops in battle, another entirely to have your face plastered on tobacco cards. In my mind, it sort of cheapens their contributions to the cause, no matter the color of their uniform. Editor: This brings into question how cultural objects engage with their own historical moment and subsequently echo across time. We can read in this small piece of ephemera entire ideologies concerning commerce, national identity, and hero-worship. Curator: It makes you ponder the fleeting nature of fame. How a general becomes a footnote, only to be resurrected as a cigarette puff...Or chewing tobacco wad. So many layers. Editor: A tiny testament to the multifaceted ways we weave narratives through objects, I think. Thank you.