Percy Stone, Cyclist, from World's Champions, Series 2 (N29) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

Curator: What a find! Today, we're looking at "Percy Stone, Cyclist," a piece from the World's Champions series of 1888, created by Allen & Ginter for their cigarette packs. Editor: My first thought? Earnest. There’s something so utterly… determined about that young man. And slightly unsettling, maybe it's that strange smoke wisp at his side? Like he’s powered by an old cartoon explosion. Curator: Ha! You're picking up on some interesting tensions. See how the colored pencil drawing mimics the look of an athletic portrait, yet the execution flirts with caricature, highlighting his youth but also a certain exaggerated seriousness? Editor: Yes! The red of his cap and jersey seems to amplify that almost comical intensity. It’s like a flushed-cheeked dedication. A very bold color for what amounts to a tiny advertisement. How fascinating! Curator: Allen & Ginter aimed for the elite. These cards celebrated achievement and aspiration—think of it as early influencer marketing. By pairing this card with their cigarettes, they sold not just tobacco but also a piece of that victorious spirit. Editor: The miniature size also creates a powerful intimacy, right? It’s this collectible whisper of someone extraordinary, ready to be slipped into your pocket. What an intriguing paradox - a bold figure, diminished and consumed as ephemera! The scale demands close looking but the materials suggest disposable intentions. Curator: Precisely. Consider how the very materiality of the coloured pencil and print suggests this fleeting moment, preserved for brief consideration before, well, eventual disposal. That shadow gives off the impression of fading away despite his amazing records as it shows. But perhaps these cards served another purpose. Editor: Which would be? Curator: To provide a connection across generations. Now almost one and a half centuries removed from when the artwork was originally consumed. The very real legacy this small drawing leaves with us feels powerful in its scope. Editor: A pocket-sized champion turned ghostly omen.