Bedouin, from Types of Nationalities (N240) issued by Kinney Bros. 1890

This is "Bedouin, from Types of Nationalities," a lithograph card issued by Kinney Bros. Tobacco Company. The composition centers on a Bedouin man, depicted from the chest up. Notice how the image is divided into distinct horizontal registers. This division, combined with the flattening of perspective, serves a dual purpose. Firstly, it evokes the seriality and reproducibility inherent in mass-produced imagery. Secondly, it subtly hints at the compartmentalization of identity within the framework of national types. The color palette—dominated by muted yellows, blues, and reds—creates a sense of exoticism, yet it is constrained by the limitations of the printing process. The man’s gaze is direct, yet impersonal. Through its use of line, color, and composition, this lithograph flattens the complex cultural identity of the Bedouin into a consumable image, reflecting the era's fascination with, and reduction of, non-Western cultures.