National Museum in Washington, from the General Government and State Capitol Buildings series (N14) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1889

This small chromolithograph is one of a series of cigarette cards, made by Allen and Ginter, depicting government buildings. The overwhelming impression is one of symmetry. The National Museum is centrally positioned and rendered in great detail, the horizontal lines of the brickwork, windows and pathway pull your eye across the composition. The geometric order gives the image a feeling of stability and permanence. Interestingly, the card format flattens the building's three-dimensional depth and exaggerates its length, emphasizing its architectural scale. The building seems to stretch out before us, an imposing symbol of national heritage and power. Even though this was a commercial item, the careful composition and attention to detail elevate it to a sophisticated example of period architecture. It invites us to contemplate the values and ideals that such structures were intended to embody.