Dagger, from the Arms of All Nations series (N3) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1887

This small card, made by Allen & Ginter for their cigarette brand, features a man in a white toga holding a dagger. These cards were collected and traded, offering a glimpse into the late 19th-century fascination with global cultures and weaponry. But what does it mean to depict "arms of all nations" through the lens of a cigarette company? Allen & Ginter was based in Richmond, Virginia, a city deeply entangled with the Confederacy and its legacy of racial violence and national division. This context complicates how we view the image of a man brandishing a dagger, an act laden with connotations of power, control, and aggression. The card speaks volumes about the cultural context in which it was produced and consumed. It raises questions about the relationship between commerce, cultural representation, and the construction of identity in a rapidly changing world. The emotional weight of this image comes from the realization that even something as small as a cigarette card can carry complex and troubling histories.