William Lakeland, from the Racing Colors of the World series (N22b) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

Editor: This is "William Lakeland, from the Racing Colors of the World series" produced in 1888 by Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. It's a color print; very delicate...almost faded with time. There’s an unusual charm to it, especially the somewhat exaggerated features of the figure. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, darling, it’s more than just a picture, isn’t it? Imagine Richmond, Virginia, buzzing with industry. Cigarettes are the new thing and, bingo, you’ve got art meeting advertising! Look at Lakeland; a jockey frozen in this rather… let’s say ‘optimistic’ style. Editor: Optimistic? Curator: Mmhmm. Flattering, perhaps? He’s almost like a little porcelain doll in his racing silks. Notice the idealized features, a nod towards both portraiture and the new vogue for mass-produced ephemera. The artist has imbued a rather dreamy quality through composition and shading, hasn't he? Editor: It definitely stands out, not just for the, uh, romantic portrayal, but because it was a cigarette card! A piece of art given away. Curator: Exactly! Imagine finding this little gem nestled in a pack of smokes. Suddenly, art is democratized; suddenly it’s collectable, accessible, even... disposable. What I find utterly fabulous, even hilarious, is how mundane desires for a nicotine fix gave birth to miniature masterpieces! Did the everyday consumer even care for 'high' art back then, do you reckon? I love the paradox in the intention behind producing them, or was it by some delightful mistake that some 'genius' found themselves immortalized. Editor: It's strange to think of art as an everyday thing like that, given how...rarefied we can make it these days. I like how the portrait sits somewhere in between! Curator: Absolutely! It does, doesn’t it? And darling, that’s precisely where its peculiar charm resides. It defies categorization and invites playful consideration of who is producing and for what aim.