Paraguay, from Flags of All Nations, Series 1 (N9) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1887

This is a chromolithograph of Paraguay's flag, produced by Allen & Ginter Cigarettes in Richmond, Virginia, as part of their Flags of All Nations series. These cards were inserted into cigarette packs as collectible items, and were indicative of an era of growing global awareness intertwined with American commercial interests. The flag itself is prominently displayed, a tricolor of red, white, and blue, with the national emblem at its center. But note the exoticized imagery below: ostrich-like birds and tropical foliage, presenting a simplified and perhaps skewed vision of Paraguay. Produced during a time of expanding American influence, these cards reflect how the United States perceived and presented other nations to its consumers. Careful attention to the visual codes used in such commercial ephemera, along with research into the company's history and the period's prevailing cultural attitudes, can reveal much about the social conditions that shaped artistic production and consumption.