Alphonse Perier D'hauterive, from the Sea Captains series (N127) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1887

Editor: This is an advertising print from 1887, "Alphonse Perier D'hauterive," part of the "Sea Captains" series by W. Duke, Sons & Co., created to promote their "Honest Long Cut Tobacco". The piece strikes me as somewhat strange, placing this very formal portrait of a man against what appears to be a very bustling steamship. How do you interpret this juxtaposition? Curator: It's crucial to unpack the socio-political context in which this image emerged. Tobacco cards weren't just advertisements; they were powerful tools for shaping and reinforcing ideas about class, gender, and empire. Alphonse Perier D'hauterive here is more than just an individual, isn’t he? He becomes a symbol – of authority, wealth, and control. How does positioning him, as a symbol of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, relate to colonial ambitions, or the exploitation of labor on both sides of the Atlantic, facilitated by trans-Atlantic trade? Editor: That makes sense, especially when viewed through the lens of the Gilded Age, but how do these visuals—his beard, his clothing—reinforce that image? Curator: His meticulously groomed beard and formal attire speak volumes about cultivated masculinity, a figure in control. Consider the other figures on the ship in the background: faceless and secondary. Their existence is merely to accentuate his primary role, in a way that is entirely reminiscent of colonial era hierarchies. But who benefits, and at whose expense? Also note that, these cards circulated widely – meaning these values and assumptions were normalized within society, influencing perspectives. Editor: So, what’s the value in analyzing these seemingly simple cards? Curator: They’re a snapshot of the dominant ideologies of the era. This is so important. Questioning these narratives is our work as historians – and as individuals living within structures created by previous inequities. These images expose these hierarchies that persist. I wonder if the next step would be to see what Alphonse Perier D'hauterive himself contributed to such inequalities... Editor: This has completely changed my understanding of this card. It’s far more than just advertising tobacco. Thanks!