San Domingo, from Flags of All Nations, Series 1 (N9) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1887

This small card, produced by Allen & Ginter for their cigarettes, depicts the flag of San Domingo against a golden sky and coastal landscape. The flag itself—quartered by a white cross, with alternating blue and red fields—is heavy with symbolism. The cross, a motif stretching back through history, is not merely a Christian emblem here. It evokes deeper currents of faith, sacrifice, and intersection. Consider its echoes in crusader banners and ancient cosmological maps, each instance layering meaning onto the last. This symbol, which recurs in various forms across cultures, taps into a collective memory, a subconscious understanding of division and unification. It's fascinating to note how the stark, almost primal contrast of red and blue—colors associated with passion and stability, respectively—further amplifies this tension. The flag is not merely a national identifier; it is a vessel carrying the weight of history, engaging viewers on an emotional level far beyond its immediate context.