Steamship Advance, The U.S. and Brazil Mail Steamship Company, from the Ocean and River Steamers series (N83) for Duke brand cigarettes 1887

Editor: Here we have "Steamship Advance, The U.S. and Brazil Mail Steamship Company" created around 1887 by W. Duke, Sons & Co.. It is a color print that originally appeared on a cigarette card. It has such an ornate feel to it with so many details included within the small paper frame. What's your take on this unusual medium? Curator: This mass-produced image, designed to sell cigarettes, challenges our very understanding of art's purpose. Consider the material conditions of its making. How does the availability of cheap printing methods influence both its production and its reception? Editor: It's fascinating to consider its origin as an advertisement. The choice to depict a steamship, along with national flags and the profile of a woman, feels very deliberate. What do you make of those combined images? Curator: Precisely. It's important to question what ideologies are being promoted through this intersection of commerce, gender, and nationalism. Who benefited from the circulation of these images, and how did they shape consumer culture and social norms? Editor: So, instead of just seeing a pretty picture, we should analyze it as a manufactured product contributing to social dynamics and consumerism. Curator: Exactly. Understanding its value requires investigating its process, the paper it's printed on, the labor involved in its production and its role within a capitalist system of distribution and exchange. Can so something seemingly inconsequential as a cigarette card have social influence? Editor: That’s a totally different lens than I would’ve typically viewed something like this through! It definitely expands how one should see beyond aesthetics, though. Curator: Absolutely! It demonstrates how everyday objects can offer profound insights into the mechanics of society and how art acts a cultural artefact, often perpetuating and naturalising existing power structures.