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

This is a tobacco card titled "Turkish, from Types of Nationalities" made by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, sometime in the late nineteenth century. These cards were inserted into cigarette packs as a marketing gimmick, offering consumers a collectible series depicting various global "types." The image presents a romanticized, exoticized view of a Turkish man. The fez, the mustache, and the cigarette held casually in his hand, all contribute to a constructed image of otherness for American consumers. Note the advertisement for "Sweet Caporal" cigarettes. It links the product to a specific cultural identity. The poem underneath references a Sultan, reinforcing orientalist stereotypes. The card reflects the socio-political context of its time, when European and American imperialism was at its height. Popular culture often reinforced these power dynamics. Analyzing such images requires us to consider the colonial gaze, the marketing strategies of the tobacco industry, and the circulation of racist imagery in everyday life. Further research into Kinney Brothers and the history of tobacco advertising would offer a deeper understanding.