Irish, from Types of Nationalities (N240) issued by Kinney Bros. 1890

Editor: So, here we have "Irish, from Types of Nationalities," a print, etching, and drawing by Kinney Bros. Tobacco Company, circa 1890. It's quite a striking little portrait, isn’t it? I find the overall tone a bit satirical, with that prominent mustache and the assertive gaze. What’s your initial take on this character? Curator: It's interesting you use the word satirical. I see echoes of the broader "types" genre—attempting to define nationalities through visual shorthand. I wonder, though, if the satire comes more from our modern lens than the intended effect back then. What if we consider it with the framing text. To this land he has sailed o'er the sea… Does that lend itself to a heroic immigrant story? Or is it subverting it? Editor: That's a great point. The text complicates it. It almost sounds like an ironic take on the American dream, you know? "Ireland shall some time in the future be free" sounds like the opposite of freedom. The "Sweet Caporal" cigarette suggests he's finding solace in something else. I didn’t initially read the poetry, so the additional historical context, even if it’s just four lines, shifts the focus completely. I almost missed that, I'm curious why it’s so small compared to the face, don't you think? Curator: Precisely. Notice, too, the coloured pencil. It lends a certain softness to what could be a harsher caricature, doesn’t it? This tobacco card becomes a tiny, potent snapshot of immigration, assimilation, and the enduring ties to the homeland, wrapped in smoke. Or, if not a snapshot of hope, certainly of the long journey towards finding that hope. That the company responsible printed playing cards shows this was not meant to last, perhaps. It’s easy to dismiss the banality of tobacco cards, but they were widely collected ephemera! Editor: I see it. So, while appearing straightforward, it’s loaded with subtle commentary about identity and the immigrant experience, viewed through, I guess, a slightly rose-tinted, or maybe tobacco-tinted, lens. Thank you for that, I've taken some new cues for looking at these prints from now on!