John C. New, The Indianapolis Journal, from the American Editors series (N35) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1887

Editor: This is "John C. New, The Indianapolis Journal" from 1887, part of the American Editors series for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. It seems to be a mixed media print combining a portrait with a landscape of the State Capitol. I’m curious – what can you tell me about it? Curator: Look closely. This isn’t "high art" meant for a gallery. These were trade cards, advertising inserts for cigarettes. Think about the production: mass-produced, using cheap materials. The portraits themselves represent a form of commodification—prominent figures used to sell tobacco. Editor: So, it's less about artistic expression and more about consumerism? The choice of John C. New – did that have something to do with appealing to a specific demographic? Curator: Precisely! The materials tell a story of labor, industry, and consumption. These cards were designed to be collected, traded. What kind of power dynamic does that represent between the manufacturer, the subject, and the consumer? It used New’s status and the paper's reputation to create an association with their brand. Editor: So, beyond just being a picture, it's about the means of production and how it reflects society at that time? Almost a snapshot of capitalist culture? Curator: Exactly. We see the raw materials, the manufacturing process, and how all of this is used to create both a commodity – the cigarette – and a collectible item used for marketing. Notice how it blurs the lines between journalism, industry, and art. These aren't distinct categories, they are all parts of the same material process of commodification. Editor: That’s fascinating! I hadn’t considered the social context of cigarette cards as a form of material culture. Curator: Seeing art in this way allows us to analyze things far beyond the art historical canon. Everything is material for analysis.