Frank R. O'Neil, The St. Louis Missouri Republican, from the American Editors series (N1) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1887

This is a collectible card of Frank R. O'Neil, editor of The St. Louis Missouri Republican, produced by Allen & Ginter, a cigarette company. These cards were inserted into cigarette packs, part of a marketing strategy that reflected the cultural norms of the time. The image provides a window into late 19th-century America, a period of industrial growth and shifting social hierarchies. It reflects ideas of masculinity and success during the Gilded Age. Newspapers were powerful, and editors like O’Neil held a position of influence. These cards also reveal the ways in which consumer culture intersected with identity and aspiration. They prompt us to consider the role of advertising in shaping perceptions of race, gender, and class, as well as the social and political values of the time. The circulation of such images played a part in constructing national identity and popular culture.