Cigar Store Indian c. 1936

Walter Hochstrasser made this watercolor and graphite painting of a cigar store Indian, likely in the early 20th century. These figures proliferated as commercial signs in the 19th century, advertising tobacco shops in a young America keen to create its own visual language. The image of the "noble savage" was common in art and literature, often romanticizing and distorting Indigenous cultures. Here, we see the figure adorned with feathers and holding a rifle. This imagery was powerful, reflecting both fascination and the brutal realities of colonization and conflict. These objects promoted business, but also participated in the ongoing cultural appropriation and erasure of Native American identity. To fully grasp the historical weight of this image, we can research period advertising, literature, and accounts of Native American life. Only then can we understand how this image participated in constructing narratives about Indigenous peoples. This painting reminds us that art is always entangled with broader social forces.