Montana, from Flags of the States and Territories (N11) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1888

Curator: Here we have “Montana, from Flags of the States and Territories,” printed in 1888 by Allen & Ginter as part of a series of cigarette cards. These cards were immensely popular, finding their way into mass circulation through tobacco products. Editor: The composition is intriguing! It's a flag superimposed onto a landscape, almost like a merging of symbols. There's something compelling about the layering of imagery and the use of muted colors, quite atmospheric really. Curator: It's a visualization of manifest destiny through promotional ephemera. Look at the state flag – it showcases a landscape suggesting both bounty and the potential for extraction of resources. Note also, the state's motto "Oro y Plata" - gold and silver. It is right there on the flag's streamer. Editor: Yes, the inscription adds another layer. But consider the graphic elements – the strong diagonal created by the flag’s pole bisecting the atmospheric backdrop creates a rather dramatic focal point. How would the state motto impact an average consumer picking this from their pack? Curator: I suspect Allen & Ginter aimed to appeal to a sense of national pride and expansion. Cigarette cards were collected and traded, educating a broad public about the geography and symbolism of the nation, simultaneously normalizing both consumerism and colonialism. Editor: So it serves as a pocket-sized piece of propaganda? I see it in that light as well, but I cannot resist its allure! I appreciate how the designer contrasts the crinkled texture of the flag against the more impressionistic rendering of the sunset reflecting off the water. And those tiny figures in a boat, almost swallowed by the grandeur. Curator: The card functioned as both advertising and subtle promotion of American imperial ambitions. It normalizes and beautifies a vision of expansion into lands already inhabited, essentially endorsing that political program through commerce. Editor: Certainly a multi-layered creation and a piece of social history we've managed to unpack here! It's a beautiful reminder of how something so seemingly simple can reveal so much about its era. Curator: Precisely, these pocket-sized prints circulated widely, planting a flag, quite literally, for a specific vision of American identity and aspiration.