Sling, from the Arms of All Nations series (N3) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1887

Editor: This card, titled "Sling, from the Arms of All Nations series" made in 1887 by Allen & Ginter, is actually a colored-pencil print. It has an interesting caricature style, almost cartoonish. What draws your eye in this piece? Curator: Well, first, I’m interested in this not as high art, but as a commercial object. Produced by Allen & Ginter for cigarette brands, these cards circulated widely, becoming part of everyday life and, therefore, deeply implicated in social and economic systems. How does the production of this object inform the message being depicted? Editor: Hmm, so it's not just about the image of the man with the sling, but about the very act of making and distributing it? I suppose the mass production via print is what really contextualizes the message of power and conquest on the card. Curator: Precisely. Consider the materiality: a coloured pencil print, cheap, reproducible. It brings "Arms of All Nations" – violence and colonialism – to a consumer demographic. Is it glorifying or just simply showcasing these images of power? Editor: Good point. The wide distribution probably normalized these representations. It’s unsettling to think how something seemingly innocuous as a cigarette card can reinforce specific narratives around power dynamics in society, what would be today mass media! Curator: Exactly! The seemingly simple image reveals a more profound reality: the commodification of cultural representation. It raises important questions about labor, consumerism, and the normalization of global conflict. Has considering its circulation changed how you view it? Editor: Absolutely. Seeing it as a commodity, not just a drawing, gives it a whole new layer of meaning and impact.