Vice-Admiral, Great Britain, from the Naval Flags series (N17) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1886 - 1891

This is a cigarette card, from the series Naval Flags, made by Allen & Ginter. The composition is divided into three horizontal layers: the flag of Great Britain, an explosion in a cloud of smoke, and a uniformed boy with a cannon. The flag’s bold red cross against the stark white, combined with the depiction of warfare, creates a vivid display of power and authority. The artist uses a dense field of small dots, a printing technique called stippling, to give texture and visual complexity, especially in rendering the smoke. The composition balances the symbolic representation of the flag with dynamic action below. The use of distinct layers suggests a structured hierarchy, typical of commercial art intended to convey clear messages. The flag represents the established order, the cannon the technology to enforce it, and the boy the hope for the continuation of this structure. This card encapsulates themes of national pride and military strength within a compact format, indicative of late 19th-century attitudes toward empire and technology.