A Short History: General George E. Pickett, from the Histories of Generals series (N114) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Smoking and Chewing Tobacco 1888

Curator: Oh, wow, this card has such a strange feel to it. Is this a...postcard? An advertisement? I feel weirdly nostalgic for a time I never experienced. Editor: It's a lithograph trading card from 1888, actually, issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as promotional material for their "Honest Long Cut Smoking and Chewing Tobacco". The card is titled "A Short History: General George E. Pickett, from the Histories of Generals series." The image blends a portrait with battle scenes and product promotion in a very peculiar way. Curator: Right! So you have a portrait of the General looking like a rosy-cheeked, very serious gentleman alongside leaves, battle scenes...it’s this bizarre juxtaposition of commerce, war, and personal identity all pressed together! Editor: Absolutely. Understanding this card requires considering the Lost Cause narrative prevalent at the time. Pickett, despite his devastating charge at Gettysburg, was a celebrated figure in the South. Placing his image on a tobacco card normalizes and romanticizes a painful past. Curator: And that "Honest" label – it feels incredibly ironic, doesn't it? Given the historical context, and even just the idea of commodifying memory in this way, I almost feel nauseous at the layers of...disingenuousness. But at the same time, as a person, and an image, Pickett doesn't quite feel like a villain here. Editor: Exactly. It prompts us to consider the complexities of memory, how historical figures are sanitized or manipulated for specific purposes. And consider the audience, likely white men who consumed this product. The card reinforces specific notions of masculinity, history, and regional pride. Curator: It’s uncomfortable. Almost feels complicit to look at it, analyze it... Editor: But necessary, I think. It's through examining these everyday artifacts, these cultural ephemera, that we can truly grasp how ideologies are perpetuated and power operates on a micro level. Curator: You’re right. It’s a disquieting glimpse into the ways the past continues to shape our present. Editor: And a potent reminder that history is never really just a "short history." It's always so much more.