Mexican, from World's Smokers series (N33) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

Curator: This dapper gentleman with a cigarette hanging jauntily from his lips is part of the "World's Smokers" series. It comes to us from a set of cards produced by Allen & Ginter Cigarettes in 1888. Editor: My first impression is the sharp contrast between the man's rugged attire, complete with the green headscarf and bright serape, versus the rosy flush of his cheeks. It almost makes him seem a little like he's playing dress-up. Curator: These cigarette cards were wildly popular at the time; they offered a snapshot of other cultures to Americans in an era before mass global tourism, with something of the feel of ukiyo-e prints, you know? The "exotic" other packaged for easy consumption... sometimes problematic. Editor: Absolutely, I find the cultural shorthand fascinating – and also rather blunt. Look at the care in depicting the traditional clothing – a clear signal of identity. But what does it *mean* beyond that flat "Mexican" label at the bottom? The cigarette as a marker, binding these disparate "world smokers" together? Curator: It speaks volumes about turn-of-the-century cultural perception, and aspiration – exoticism, wealth, leisure... All condensed onto a tiny card designed to be collected, traded, maybe even tossed aside. Editor: These cards offered little windows onto a larger world... A world perceived through a colonial gaze, where objects – like the serape and the cigarette – substitute for understanding and respect, wouldn't you say? Even now, it brings up the same thorny issues. Curator: It certainly makes you think, doesn’t it? And beyond the symbolism, I appreciate how evocative it is. It captures something fleeting; a trend, an idea, a feeling – all wrapped up in the guise of commerce. Even for a smoker such as myself, the historical and cultural layers surrounding even the humble cigarette fascinate. Editor: Indeed, such commercial art offers clues about past fascinations and fixations—cultural consumption through collected images is an act we still participate in today.