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

Editor: This is "Nicaragua, from Flags of All Nations," created around 1887 by Allen & Ginter, a company that, surprisingly, also produced cigarettes. It's a small print featuring a watercolor drawing, and something about the color palette gives it this wonderfully antiquated feel. What catches your eye when you look at this, besides the obvious cigarette connection? Curator: The fact that these were slipped into packs of cigarettes utterly tickles me – can you imagine, a little burst of national pride, nicotine-stained, tucked in with your tobacco? I see the brash optimism of late 19th-century America, sticking flags on everything! It makes me wonder, though, how many people even knew where Nicaragua *was* back then? Do you think they collected them? Editor: I would, definitely! It’s like Pokemon cards, but… educational-ish? There’s something naive about the rendering of the geography – Central America seems almost candy-colored. Was there a particular motivation behind distributing these sorts of images? Curator: That naivete is delicious, isn't it? Almost… colonial. Flags as…advertisements! It also gave these brands this whiff of worldliness. A sophisticated air. “Smoke our brand and expand your mind!” Hilarious! Allen & Ginter were onto something; a glimpse of exotica with your daily vice! And the flag itself…the colours, so confidently rendered. Did you know those colours supposedly symbolize courage, unity and equality? Editor: Really makes you rethink your pack-a-day habit, huh? All that courage! I think I appreciate the visual shorthand involved in something like this – conveying so much with so little. Curator: Exactly. It's a snapshot of an era. Who knew cigarette packaging could be such a little portal! It's shown me how art can sneak into the unlikeliest corners of life, and that maybe history isn’t so far away as it feels.