Sir Walter Raleigh, from World's Smokers series (N33) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

Editor: This is “Sir Walter Raleigh” from the World's Smokers series, made by Allen & Ginter in 1888. It’s a small print, a tobacco card actually, and it depicts Raleigh with quite the jaunty air, pipe in hand. It almost feels like a caricature, like it's winking at the viewer. How should we interpret a work like this? Curator: It’s interesting to consider this image not just as a portrait, but as a piece of commercial art. Cigarette cards were essentially advertisements, and the “World’s Smokers” series aimed to associate smoking with figures of renown and adventure, and of course, power. Editor: So it's less about historical accuracy and more about marketing a certain lifestyle? Curator: Precisely. Think about who they chose. Sir Walter Raleigh, for one, was popularized as a figure who introduced tobacco to England, albeit somewhat inaccurately. By putting him on a card, Allen & Ginter were attempting to legitimize tobacco consumption through a link to history and supposed sophistication. It also raises questions of how these figures have been instrumentalized for purposes they could not anticipate. Does this image say something about how imagery works to affect history, as well? Editor: It’s fascinating how a simple collectible card can reveal so much about cultural values and advertising strategies of the time. The subtle political power behind the marketing of commodities like this! I never considered these tiny pictures as parts of such elaborate cultural propaganda before. Curator: Indeed! Everyday art holds more subtle messaging than many people consider, which speaks volumes about the period it came from. These images participated actively in circulating ideas of the ‘ideal smoker.’ It definitely gives a new perspective on our everyday interactions with consumer art!