Hungary, from Flags of All Nations, Series 2 (N10) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1890

This small card, depicting the flag of Hungary, was printed by Allen & Ginter, a cigarette company based in Richmond, Virginia. Produced using industrial printing techniques, it would have been included in a pack of cigarettes as a collectible item. The flag itself – rendered in vivid red, white, and green – appears against a patterned backdrop, the whole design evoking a sense of national pride. Yet, think about the card’s materiality: thin paper, printed in bulk. The sharp, clean lines and colors are made possible by industrial printing. Cigarette cards like these were immensely popular at the time, and speak to the rise of mass production and consumer culture. The connection to labor is clear: these cards were only possible because of factory workers churning out cigarettes and printing cards at high speed and low cost. By considering the materials and context of production, we recognize these objects tell us much about the relationship between art, industry, and everyday life.