Christ, Holy, See, from the World's Decorations series (N44) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

This small chromolithograph of around 1888 was produced by Allen & Ginter, an American tobacco company. It shows a Christian cross beneath a crown and a red cushion, resembling a papal decoration. The card belongs to a series called "World's Decorations", which speaks to the growing global reach of American commerce and cultural interests in the late 19th century. These cards were inserted into cigarette packs as a marketing strategy, tapping into a collector culture that was burgeoning at the time. The imagery flattens complex histories into consumable images. They functioned as collectable cards, encouraging brand loyalty through the pursuit of completing a set. To fully understand this image, we need to consult archives of advertising history and business records. These show how commercial imagery was used to shape public taste and promote the consumption of tobacco products. It represents a fascinating intersection of commerce, culture, and the institutional practices of collecting.