Abyssinia, from the Natives in Costume series (N16) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1886

This small chromolithograph was made by Allen & Ginter, a cigarette company based in Richmond, Virginia. It is one of a series that was inserted into cigarette packs as a promotional item. The image depicts a man from Abyssinia, now known as Ethiopia, in what is meant to be traditional garb, holding a rifle. These cards were part of a broader cultural phenomenon in the late 19th century, as European and American companies used images of exoticized people from around the world to market their products. The images tell us less about the people they depict than about the cultural biases of the society that produced them. The “Natives in Costume” series exemplifies a commercial appropriation of cultural difference, reflecting an era of burgeoning global trade and colonial expansion. These images were circulated widely through a new kind of mass media, shaping popular perceptions of foreign cultures and promoting ideas about race and empire. Careful historical research into company archives and the popular press of the time can reveal a great deal about the social and institutional contexts that give such images their meanings.