Alexander Bras-de-Fer, In Ambush, from the Pirates of the Spanish Main series (N19) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1886 - 1891

Curator: This lithograph, "Alexander Bras-de-Fer, In Ambush," from around 1890, presents a captivating profile within its compact format. It’s one of the collectibles that were inserted into cigarette packs by Allen & Ginter. What’s your initial take on it? Editor: The small size lends it a curious intimacy. He looms large despite the space. Immediately I see the duality of ambition and…well, outright piracy! The piercing gaze clashes interestingly with that ridiculous flower in his hat. The flower almost reads as a mocking symbol of elegance amidst brute force. Curator: Ah, yes, that tension is exactly what makes it sing. The figure is quite a symbol. His piercing stare reminds me of an eagle, regal and predatory all at once, and yet…there's the suggestion of perfumed danger. Notice how they framed his bust against both sea and approaching comrades in the background to suggest the dual spheres of life he inhabits. Editor: I’m drawn to that duality, the delicate lithography portraying a world of ruthless ambition. Consider the name "Bras-de-Fer," Iron Arm. But we get him as this soft drawing on this collectible card. It almost romanticizes something that wasn’t remotely romantic. What’s the effect of that contradiction? Curator: Absolutely. The visual echoes are significant, creating a deliberate tension. Those ships in the distance speak to a hunger for distant treasure, fueling expansion and the exploitation inherent to such power. So many contradictions rendered through what’s literally the cheap form of a trading card, making piracy strangely mundane and alluring all at once! Editor: So the allure resides precisely in normalizing that brutal behavior? Allen & Ginter aren’t selling tobacco alone; they’re selling an attractive delusion, the dream of power decoupled from its ethical implications. A powerful and disturbing portrait of the making of cultural memory! Curator: In a way, that compact framing, that pocket-sized piracy, echoes the way historical narratives become easily consumable stories, simplified and romanticized for easy acceptance. That makes for an impactful, and quite discomforting commentary today, doesn't it? Editor: It really does. Looking at the artwork, it has certainly helped bring all those complex layers to light in a surprisingly evocative, compact manner. Thank you!