Sir Raveneau de Lussan, Bargaining with the Captain, from the Pirates of the Spanish Main series (N19) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1886 - 1891

This small chromolithograph was made by Allen and Ginter, as part of a series of collectible cards included in cigarette packs. The image is printed using multiple layers of color, a process that, while mechanical, still required skilled technicians to execute. The flat, graphic style is typical of mass-produced images from this era. What I find interesting is the association of this image, depicting a pirate bargaining with a captain, with the very real and often brutal economics of the 19th century tobacco trade. Consider the labor involved in producing tobacco, often extracted from enslaved people or exploited workers. Then think about the consumer, purchasing a pack of cigarettes and casually collecting these cards. The image becomes a token, a small piece of paper that obscures the larger, more complex story of labor, trade, and consumption. It prompts us to consider the relationship between visual culture, capitalism, and the ways in which we often detach ourselves from the true cost of the things we consume.