A Short History of General E. Kirby Smith, from the Histories of Generals series (N114) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Smoking and Chewing Tobacco 1888

Curator: Today we are looking at "A Short History of General E. Kirby Smith, from the Histories of Generals series" dating to 1888. These prints, rendered using lithography and coloured pencil, were issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Smoking and Chewing Tobacco. It’s currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: It has such an archaic feel to it, like a dusty page from a history book. Almost sepia-toned even though the colour's still present... It feels like looking into a faded memory. Curator: Note the compositional structure: a portrait of General Smith himself is placed adjacent to depictions of Confederate battle flags, a marching soldier. The arrangement evokes a condensed visual narrative. Editor: I see... it is like an advertisement masquerading as a history lesson. Makes you wonder about the truth behind that short history! The soldier’s uniform looks so... meticulous, almost a cartoon, in contrast to the general's somewhat dour expression. Curator: Yes, the portrait utilizes certain established conventions for depicting authority and intellect. Look at the beard, the spectacles. The colours themselves, although muted, employ carefully chosen hues to delineate form and underscore certain details. It serves a dual purpose: selling tobacco and memorializing figures from the past. Editor: He reminds me of my grandpa who, when riled up, was ready to launch into Civil War conspiracy theories! And now I can't help but read that anxiety into his face! Curator: Such works, intended as commercial ephemera, have nonetheless evolved into artifacts providing glimpses into the culture and ideologies of the era. The piece acts as an interesting condensation of historical memory. Editor: In this one small image, we get advertising, social memory and of course the complexity, the ever present need to ask ourselves who is authoring these "histories?" Curator: Indeed. Through understanding the object’s various facets of form and purpose, its embedded structure comes further into focus, clarifying our analysis of the society and politics that birthed it. Editor: So next time you reach for a tin of tobacco, perhaps consider the layers of stories that lie just beneath the surface.