American, from World's Smokers series (N33) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

This lithograph was made by Allen & Ginter Cigarettes, sometime in the late 19th century, as part of their "World's Smokers" series. These cards were printed on thin paper stock, using lithography, a method that allowed for relatively quick and cheap reproduction. Consider the material reality of this artwork as it circulated. It was slipped into packs of cigarettes as a small gift and advertisement. The image of an ‘American’ man smoking exoticized and glamorous images of a globalized world. Allen and Ginter were marketing addiction with collectable images. The card speaks to a late 19th-century economy increasingly driven by mass production and consumerism, where even everyday habits like smoking became opportunities for elaborate branding exercises. It challenges conventional notions of what constitutes art, pointing to the cultural significance of even the most seemingly trivial objects.