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

Curator: So, here we have “A Short History of General Quincy Adams Gilmore, from the Histories of Generals series of booklets (N78) for Duke brand cigarettes." It was produced around 1888 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. Editor: What a captivating little gem! It feels so quaint, almost like stumbling upon a forgotten daguerreotype, but rendered with vibrant colored pencils, defying its actual age. Curator: Exactly! It's a print, made from colored pencil drawings, and designed to be included in cigarette packs! Can you imagine collecting a whole series of these? The Met has it. Editor: A touch of history packaged with your nicotine fix! Looking closer, the formal elements blend military precision with almost Ukiyo-e whimsicality. The rigid blue uniform, dotted with those brassy buttons and geometric epaulettes—juxtaposed with a face rendered with such delicate, almost Impressionistic touches. I feel that there’s a weird dissonance. Curator: Dissonance is key here! On one hand it attempts to give you some truth and fact about the life of this historical figure. On the other hand, there’s the commercial goal, it reduces everything into a caricature of itself in a way, like the name itself implies a brief account, to create something easily digestible and easily collectible. Editor: And yet, that "digestibility" also holds an artistic charm. Look how the portrait captures Gilmore's somewhat world-weary expression. The lines around his eyes, the subtle shading—there's a psychological depth here. A kind of human softness contrasting with the hard lines of his uniform and station. Is it genuine, or just great salesmanship? Curator: That is the question. What it really points at is how imagery can be effectively combined with consumer culture, to embed imagery with ideals to sell us both an idea and a product. Editor: Hmm. This tiny historical artifact speaks volumes. It’s a surprisingly emotional work for something intended as mere packaging.