Commodore's Pennant, Brazil, from the Naval Flags series (N17) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1886 - 1891

Editor: This is "Commodore's Pennant, Brazil," a print from around 1886-1891 by Allen & Ginter. It seems so quaint, this little nautical scene advertising cigarettes. The juxtaposition of this grand flag with the consumerism of the product... what do you make of this piece? Curator: It's fascinating, isn't it? This card, ostensibly about Brazilian naval identity, exists within a very specific and complex colonial context. Tobacco companies like Allen & Ginter were essentially globalizing forces, profiting from agriculture deeply entwined with histories of slavery and exploitation. What do you think the inclusion of a foreign naval flag in their series signals to consumers? Editor: Maybe a sense of worldliness or exoticism, almost like collecting experiences through cigarettes? Curator: Precisely! It’s about projecting an image, linking smoking to exploration and power. And let's not forget the blatant erasure of Indigenous histories. Brazil's identity is presented through its navy, a tool of colonial expansion, ignoring the pre-colonial narratives. Does knowing this shift your perspective at all? Editor: Absolutely. It’s not just a charming historical image, it’s a reminder of how advertising can perpetuate skewed narratives and hide uncomfortable truths. It makes me wonder about the labor behind the cigarettes themselves and whose stories were actively being suppressed. Curator: Exactly. Analyzing these seemingly simple images can open up conversations about global power dynamics, consumption, and the historical forces shaping our present. What was initially "quaint" now carries significant weight, doesn't it? Editor: It really does. Thanks for helping me see all that! Curator: My pleasure. These objects are only silent until we begin asking the right questions.