Order of the Zaehringen Lion, Baden, from the World's Decorations series (N30) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

Editor: We're looking at "Order of the Zaehringen Lion, Baden," a colored-pencil drawing and print made in 1890 by Allen & Ginter for their cigarette cards. The card feels very formal, the medal almost regal, yet also quaint because of the size and how it was distributed. What can you tell me about it? Curator: From a materialist perspective, I see a confluence of industries: tobacco, printing, and image-making. This card embodies the industrialization of art through mass production. Think about the labor involved in creating thousands of these—the illustrators, the printers, the factory workers packing cigarettes. It challenges our notions of artistic value. Are these 'fine art' or simply commodities promoting consumption? Editor: So it's less about the symbolism of the medal itself, and more about… how it came to be? Curator: Exactly. We have to consider the social context. Cigarette cards like this fueled a growing consumer culture. Allen & Ginter weren’t necessarily interested in artistic expression, but rather using appealing imagery to build brand loyalty. What does it say about societal values that images of nobility were used to sell tobacco? Editor: That’s fascinating! So it's revealing something about how power structures are promoted through consumer goods, even in something as small as a cigarette card? Curator: Precisely. It blurs the lines between advertising, art, and social status, reflecting the complex web of production, distribution, and consumption. Editor: This has made me think totally differently about trading cards! I’ll definitely look at seemingly ‘simple’ images in terms of how they are manufactured, consumed, and how they impacted society during their time. Curator: And that’s precisely how we excavate deeper meanings embedded in the everyday objects around us.