London, from World's Dudes series (N31) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

Curator: This diminutive print, made with colored pencils, comes from a series called "World's Dudes." Allen & Ginter Cigarettes issued it in 1888. It depicts a London gentleman in the rain, accompanied by his little dog. Editor: What a charming tableau! The vibrant colors are unexpectedly cheery for a rainy London scene. And the lines! The artist's commitment to lines, from the man's pinstripe trousers to the raindrops, is almost obsessive. Curator: These images were designed for cigarette cards and were popular collectibles. The aim was to elevate cigarette smoking by linking it to sophisticated global imagery, offering a glimpse into aspirational lifestyles for the burgeoning middle class. The dandy embodies the period's ideals. Editor: Yes, the formal elegance is meticulously constructed. The matching gloves and umbrella, the perfect pocket square—all contributing to this artificial presentation. I also note how the colour is sectioned, creating different regions throughout the artwork and a cohesive, geometrical picture. Curator: What I find interesting is how these images reinforced existing social hierarchies. By depicting fashionable figures from around the globe, companies like Allen & Ginter participated in constructing an understanding of class and international identity for mass consumption. Editor: Perhaps, but one could also read it as pure visual delight. I see a formal pleasure derived from the repetition and variation of line and colour. Is this pursuit necessarily suspect just because it became a tool of social aspiration? Curator: Well, art and society are never truly separate, are they? Editor: A fair point, perhaps. The image remains appealing, even if its original purpose feels antiquated and problematic. Curator: Absolutely, it allows us to appreciate the confluence of art, commerce, and societal aspirations in late 19th-century America. Editor: And it shows us how artists can turn even mundane things, like rainy days and cigarette adverts, into objects of lasting visual curiosity.