Order of the Zaehringen Lion, Baden, from the World's Decorations series (N44) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

This is a chromolithograph of the Order of the Zaehringen Lion, Baden, made by Allen & Ginter for their World's Decorations series of cigarette cards. These cards were produced in America in the late nineteenth century, and the commission of this artwork reflects the growing influence of the culture of Imperial Germany. Yet while it presents an image of European aristocracy, it was mass-produced for distribution with popular tobacco products. The sets of cards like this one depicting national flags, military uniforms, and, in this case, honors and awards, were designed to appeal to a wide audience. The image here depicts a decoration of the Grand Duchy of Baden, a German state that existed between 1806 and 1918, with a cross surrounded by lions, a common heraldic symbol of power. These cigarette cards can tell us a lot about the complex relationships between commerce, nationalism, and social class at the turn of the century. To understand the cultural context of such images, we might look at marketing materials, social histories of tobacco use, and studies of nationalism.