Joseph R. Hawley, The Hartford Courant, from the American Editors series (N35) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1887

This late 19th-century chromolithograph by Allen & Ginter, originally part of a cigarette card series, portrays Joseph R. Hawley of *The Hartford Courant*. Note the halo-like glow behind Hawley’s head. This immediately recalls the hagiographic tradition of Christian art. It’s a visual cue borrowed from centuries of religious iconography, used here to suggest enlightenment or reverence, but now applied to a secular figure—an editor. The halo, or aureola, can be traced back even further, appearing in Hellenistic and Roman art to signify power and divinity. Think of the sun gods of antiquity. Over time, this symbol was adopted and adapted, its sacred meaning evolving. The power of such a motif lies in its ability to subconsciously imbue its subject with an aura of authority. It highlights our deeply ingrained responses to visual cues. It shows that symbols endure, their meanings transforming and resurfacing across cultural epochs.