Tennessee, from Flags of the States and Territories (N11) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1888

Curator: I find myself immediately drawn to the almost dreamlike quality of this small card. There's something captivating in its compact space. Editor: You're quite right. This print, titled "Tennessee, from Flags of the States and Territories," comes to us from 1888, part of a series made for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. Its charming and informative design relies on both drawing and watercolor on paper. Curator: So, it's an advertisement! Now it makes perfect sense that the imagery reflects very curated, and some might even say, aspirational visions of agriculture and commerce. There’s the suggestion of abundance, promise of growth, and ease of exchange, all intended to encourage consumption. Editor: Precisely. Consider the prominence given to both a bountiful harvest and a majestic sailing ship – they function almost like secular icons promising prosperity, but notice also the visual harmony between these disparate elements, united through the formal structure of the design. Curator: Oh, absolutely, note that banner framing the scene, dividing the state’s aspirations in clear segments. Agriculture up top, literally bearing the Roman Numeral XVI – indicating its place as the 16th state admitted into the union, while commerce occurs against the ocean horizon below. And then there's the stylized skyline beneath, bisected once again, visually grounded at the very bottom of the design through text. The text seems to flow like a ribbon in water. The manufacturers brand name – linking this idealized Tennessee with Allen and Ginter Cigarettes, the purveyors of aspiration and escape! Editor: Indeed. Each visual element performs a specific rhetorical function – it serves as both emblem and endorsement. Moreover, it reveals how a late nineteenth-century sensibility conceived of state identity through distinct symbolic markers meant to distill history, industry, and promise into a unified picture. Curator: Thinking about the state’s flag displayed so prominently, what’s compelling to me is that they placed all the overt symbolism within that banner—suggesting both transparency and invitation for viewers to contemplate its cultural and economic relevance. The choice is fascinating when considered with all its psychological underpinnings! Editor: An excellent point! Seeing how symbols are deployed offers valuable insight into the period's aesthetic and social landscape. It’s far more complex than just the individual pieces. Curator: Precisely. Editor: Yes, a powerful synthesis to unpack from such a seemingly small work.