Felix Agnus, Baltimore American, from the American Editors series (N35) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1887

Curator: This is a fascinating piece from 1887, a lithograph trading card from the "American Editors" series by Allen & Ginter. It depicts Felix Agnus, publisher of the Baltimore American newspaper. These cards were originally included in cigarette packs. Editor: It has a certain quaint charm, doesn't it? The rosy complexion of the subject, coupled with the serene harbor scene, creates a rather dreamlike feel. And that enormous mustache is certainly a focal point! Curator: Indeed. The imagery reflects a period of rapid industrialization and expansion of mass media. The inclusion of prominent editors like Agnus in these cards speaks to the rising influence and importance of the press. It reveals how print media was gaining status and recognition. Editor: And look at the composition. The central portrait is neatly framed in red, contrasting sharply with the tranquil blues and greens of the background landscape. This isolation emphasizes the importance of Agnus while hinting at the broader context of his work— the city, trade, perhaps even global affairs suggested by the sailing vessels. Curator: Precisely. The backdrop illustrating Fort McHenry and the Chesapeake Bay also firmly grounds Agnus and his newspaper within a specific geographic and cultural context. Allen & Ginter deliberately fostered a sense of American identity with such portraits, and even created visual documentation. Editor: It’s amazing to me the contrast between the graphic style of his likeness, which flattens out his features somewhat, and the painterly effect used to portray the atmospheric landscape behind him. Almost a collision of styles. Curator: The use of the lithograph was, in this context, fairly revolutionary, and allowed for broad circulation of the work through ephemera. The format really popularized figures, imbuing men like Agnus with celebrity status beyond their professional reach. Editor: To look at this piece through a different lens, the formal arrangements strike me most. I'm thinking about the play between the rectangular format of the card and the internal rectangles of the central portrait space that contain him. This adds a surprising sense of stability. Curator: It serves to remind us of how cultural values and individual portraits were commodified and circulated. Think of how different this lithograph is from modern media outlets today. Editor: Ultimately, there's a naive grace and elegance to this piece— it gives us something worth pondering in regard to cultural ephemera of the period.