A Short History of General Braxton Bragg, from the Histories of Generals series of booklets (N78) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888

Editor: This is "A Short History of General Braxton Bragg," a colored pencil drawing printed in 1888, created by W. Duke, Sons & Co. It seems like such a formal portrait, yet the style is… almost cartoonish. What do you see in this piece? Curator: What immediately strikes me is how this seemingly innocuous portrait speaks to the Lost Cause narrative perpetuated after the Civil War. It presents a sanitized, even glorified, version of a Confederate general, a figure deeply implicated in the violence and oppression of slavery. Editor: So you're saying the very existence of this seemingly simple collectible helps to whitewash history? Curator: Precisely. These cards were circulated widely, normalizing Confederate figures within everyday life. It subtly rewrites history, minimizing the brutality of slavery and the treasonous nature of the Confederacy, turning figures like Bragg into romanticized heroes, even caricatures. What purpose do you think that serves? Editor: Well, I suppose it could influence public opinion, especially among younger generations. Making them think differently about the war, maybe even about racial issues today? Curator: Exactly. This card, as a piece of popular culture, becomes a tool for shaping collective memory and reinforcing existing power structures. Think about how consumerism intersects with historical narratives, how products can become vehicles for ideological messaging. What does that mean in a society grappling with systemic injustice? Editor: It means we have to be really critical about the images we consume, even those that seem harmless on the surface. Thanks. This has definitely changed my perspective on something as simple as a cigarette card.