From the Girls and Children series (N64) promoting Virginia Brights Cigarettes for Allen & Ginter brand tobacco products 1886

This small card was produced by Allen & Ginter to promote Virginia Brights cigarettes, part of a series called 'Girls and Children'. The image shows a young child, probably a boy, dressed in a stylized military uniform. The clothing evokes a sense of patriotism and valor, visual codes that aim to associate the cigarettes with positive values. Produced in the United States, the card reflects the emerging advertising industry that used sentimental and idealized imagery to appeal to a broad consumer base. The combination of childhood innocence with a product like cigarettes tells us a lot about the social norms of the period. To fully understand its impact, you might explore archives of advertising history, as well as social histories of childhood. This card prompts us to consider how the innocence of children has been strategically used in advertising and how institutions shape our consumption habits.