Capitol of North Carolina in Raleigh, from the General Government and State Capitol Buildings series (N14) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1889

Curator: This is a print of the Capitol of North Carolina in Raleigh, created around 1889 by Allen & Ginter as part of a series for their cigarette brands. The artwork employs colored pencil and drawing techniques to capture this governmental building. Editor: I see that it is academic-art, very precise in its lines! It feels odd to see the Capitol represented in what's essentially a commercial format. What does this cigarette card tell us about how images of power circulated back then? Curator: Exactly! It prompts us to consider the relationship between artistic representation, mass production, and consumption. This wasn't fine art hanging in a gallery. This was something readily available and circulated among the public through everyday commerce. It demonstrates how the image of the state became a commodity. Allen and Ginter used these images as collectibles, and this speaks to broader issues, wouldn’t you agree, regarding accessibility and dissemination of symbols and power. How does the very material of the colored pencil drawing, transformed into a print on a cigarette card, influence its meaning? Editor: I guess turning it into a mass-produced collectible changes how people might see it; less an awe-inspiring monument and more… common. Did Allen & Ginter perhaps target particular demographics with such imagery? Curator: That’s a crucial question. Who was buying these cigarettes? Likely middle-class men. So, this imagery would have contributed to a sense of shared national identity and pride in institutions, distributed right along with a tobacco product. Editor: So the state building becomes a packaged commodity, accessible (and disposable) with every smoke. This forces me to view governmental power not only as a monument, but also in relation to labor, material, and class! I never would have thought of that! Thank you! Curator: Precisely, and the seemingly simple form opens a door to reveal complexities within society and how materials were created. That’s the most valuable approach!