Dr. Elisha Kent Kane, from the series Great Americans (N76) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888

Curator: Let's turn our attention to this peculiar piece from 1888, a print of Dr. Elisha Kent Kane. It's part of the "Great Americans" series (N76) by W. Duke, Sons & Co., primarily known as a cigarette manufacturer. What are your first thoughts? Editor: It feels like a rugged romance novel cover. I’m getting this strong sense of yearning, the kind you feel when staring at distant horizons. The rendering style reminds me a little bit of vintage adventure book illustrations. What kind of story does this man hold, and why is it on a cigarette card? Curator: Dr. Kane was quite the celebrity in his day – a physician and Arctic explorer. The image draws on familiar iconography of exploration: the fur-lined parka suggesting the exotic and hostile climates and, behind him, a rather dramatically rendered Arctic scene, all capped off with a sunburst evoking discovery and enlightenment. Duke was playing into the mythology of American ambition. Editor: I see what you mean. The sunburst almost feels…divine, imbuing Kane with this aura of almost sacred heroism. Though I can’t help but feel the cigarette card somewhat undermines the heroic association! I do wonder if there’s a trace of irony at play, linking the "adventure" of smoking with his physical endeavors. A kind of unhealthy comparison that flatters the consumer? Curator: Certainly. What’s fascinating is how these images, even as marketing tools, embedded ideals of exploration, national identity, and even masculinity into popular consciousness. This small card acted as a cultural touchstone, associating Kane’s supposed virtues with the Duke brand. Note how the arctic regions above are only separated by a horizon with his image, implying an implicit connection. Editor: The rosy cheeks on the man also add a rather human dimension to the piece. There’s an almost caricature quality to the rendering, emphasizing a certain flush, I think I might be going crazy here, but I imagine that this is a result of a mixture of cold weather and adventurous pursuit. And this all makes it so funny because it is all just meant to make you pick a cancer stick over another. Curator: Absolutely, and seeing the man’s “Arctic flush”, juxtaposed with Duke's self-proclamation on the lower border that it’s made by "The Largest Cigarette Manufacturers in the World", serves to emphasize that grim irony even further. Thank you for providing that valuable comparison and emotional understanding of this rather quirky artwork. Editor: A grimly funny image, serving as a symbol for grand ambitions or manipulative commercial messaging, this portrait is undeniably, interesting.