Pinta, from the Famous Ships series (N50) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1895

Curator: Up next, we have a photogravure print from a series titled "Famous Ships" by Allen & Ginter, dating back to 1895. Specifically, this print depicts the Pinta. Editor: At first glance, the composition seems almost skeletal. The sepia tone contributes to a sense of starkness and the masts loom like fragile bones against the horizon. Curator: It’s intriguing that a commercial product like a cigarette card chose this subject. The Pinta, of course, is iconic. Columbus's voyage was hugely important, wasn't it, in shaping global trade routes and empires? Allen and Ginter surely understood the power of evoking national pride. Editor: And also, perhaps, sanitizing it. Observe the print's monochromatic scheme, nearly a study in texture and the layering of planes; and observe how those textures make for interesting contrasts: rigid wood against flowing water. The vessel feels simultaneously solid and spectral. Is the image more focused on the texture than the implied journey? Curator: Indeed. I'm particularly struck by the way the Pinta appears almost static within the frame. Although labeled a ship, its function as a vessel seems almost secondary to the idea of "ship-ness." Allen and Ginter presented history filtered through popular imagination, less concerned with accuracy and more about selling a narrative of grand adventure. Editor: Agreed. Consider the framing itself—cropped and isolated—focuses our attention on the immediate form, emphasizing details such as the rigging, planks, and sails, transforming the famous ship into almost pure design. Curator: Right. We also should reflect upon the fact that objects like these entered directly into consumer culture. The cards moved, changed hands, were collected, and even actively traded or gambled; in doing so, they brought iconic national histories directly into the day-to-day lives of people across all social spheres. Editor: And it speaks volumes to consider this object and it's original intention, that what we might interpret now through the lens of art actually speaks to much wider social functions. Thanks for exploring this fascinating work with me. Curator: The pleasure was all mine.