The Order of the Bust of Bolivar, or Order of the Liberator of Venezuela, from the World's Decorations series (N44) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

This is the Order of the Bust of Bolivar, a chromolithograph trading card, printed by Allen & Ginter sometime in the late 19th century. It was issued as part of a series included in packages of cigarettes. The image shows the Venezuelan medal, with its ribbon, metallic starburst, and miniature portrait. These cards were printed using a relatively new industrial process, chromolithography, which allowed for mass production of colorful images. The process involved using multiple printing stones, one for each color, creating a layered effect. While the result seems far removed from traditional artistic practices, it did depend on the skilled labor of draftsmen and printing technicians. These cards speak to the rise of consumer culture and global trade, and the way that new printing technologies democratized image production. Next time you light up, consider the complex history of production and consumption embedded in even the most modest of images.