Big Bear, Missouria, from the American Indian Chiefs series (N2) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1888

This small card was printed by Allen & Ginter, a cigarette company, as part of a series portraying American Indian chiefs. Produced in the late 19th century, this image of Big Bear, a Missouria chief, reflects a moment of intense cultural encounter and institutional power. The card, designed to be collected and traded, transforms a living individual into a commodity, a symbol of the ‘vanishing race’ narrative popular at the time. The visual codes—the headdress, jewelry, and the very act of naming—construct a particular image of indigeneity for a consumer audience, framing it within the context of American expansion and the commercialization of culture. Historians often look at such seemingly innocuous items to unpack the complex layers of social and political meaning they contain, using archival research and cultural studies to understand the image's historical impact.