Cigar Store Indian c. 1939

Curator: This watercolor illustration from circa 1939 by Adele Brooks depicts a “Cigar Store Indian,” likely documenting one of these ubiquitous figures, a carved wooden sculpture meant to attract customers to tobacconists. Editor: It’s striking. There's a sense of both defiance and weariness in the figure's eyes. I also noticed right away the strange dichotomy—the noble feathered headdress and bearing contrasted against, well, the rather commercial nature of its original purpose. Curator: Precisely. These figures, commercially produced, became deeply ingrained in the American landscape, reflecting both a fascination with and a gross misrepresentation of Indigenous peoples. Their role highlights the power dynamics at play: commodifying an image while erasing actual lived experiences. Editor: It's fascinating how these sculptures became symbols—though inaccurate ones—of "Indianness" for the broader culture. That feathered headdress, for instance, it signals "Native American" at a glance, even if the specifics were never accurate or even considered. Curator: Exactly. Consider the historical context. Mass production met deeply flawed racial narratives. Brooks' decision to render this in watercolor, usually a more delicate medium, is interesting too, because it might imply fragility. What does it mean to record one of these highly visible figures that promoted false information? Is she signaling awareness, memorializing a vanishing cultural item, or subtly commenting on these power dynamics? Editor: Maybe all three? The symbols are certainly powerful. That cigar box so deliberately clutched carries an incredible weight when considering its history, the figurehead standing mute offering commodities produced at the expense of others’ autonomy. The entire form feels like a cultural echo now, fading but still resonant. Curator: Yes, an echo that continues to shape perceptions, a complicated intersection of art, commerce, and identity which leaves many unanswered questions. Editor: A reminder of how symbols persist, long after the stories that created them are rewritten or even forgotten.