Cigar Store Indian c. 1937

Alice Stearns created this watercolor and graphite illustration of a cigar store Indian. These figures, ubiquitous in 19th-century America, served as symbols of exoticism and trade. The feathered headdress, while visually striking, often bore little resemblance to actual Native American tribal regalia; it became a generalized emblem, stripped of its specific cultural meanings. Consider the Roman figure of the "noble savage," echoed in Renaissance paintings; a similar phenomenon occurs here, where the Native American figure is repackaged for commercial purposes, tapping into a romanticized, albeit distorted, vision of the "other." This conflation is rooted in a complex blend of admiration, fear, and exploitation, reflecting the psychological tensions of a nation grappling with its colonial past and expansionist ambitions. The image is not merely a depiction but a charged cultural artifact. The symbol, appropriated and altered, continues its journey through time.