Counter-Archives in
Digital Spaces ⟶

Duke’s Cigarette Cards
Coins of All Nations, 1889

Case Study #1: Curation

The curated selection of photographs, prints, and drawings for each nation are chosen from the NYPL Digital Collection by doing a keyword search for the nation featured on the cigarette card. Results are narrowed down to the decades preceding and following 1889, the year Duke’s Cigarette Cards, Coins of All Nations was released.
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  • Do the curated materials share visual characteristics with the cigarette card? How are they different?
  • What is the point of view of the curated materials? What narratives are presented?
  • Does seeing the curated materials offer an alternative impression of the caricature on the cigarette card?
  • How might these images have influenced Americans’ idea of people from this nation?
  • Choose a card and create your own set of curated materials using the NYPL Digital Collections.

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China.

China.

Cigarette card, 1889

Coins of All Nations (Duke's Cigarettes)

George Arents Collection, The New York Public Library. "China." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1850 - 1959. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47de-34f1-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Beheading--the capital punishment in China

Beheading--the capital punishment in China.

Chinese paintings on rice paper, 1801-1900 (Approximate)

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Art & Architecture Collection, The New York Public Library. “Beheading--the capital punishment in China” The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1801 - 1900. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e2-c592-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Her Majesty, the Empress dowager

Her Majesty, the Empress dowager.

Photograph from Souvenir album of China, 1908

Gammon, Charles F. (Photographer)

General Research Division, The New York Public Library. “Her Majesty, the Empress dowager” The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1908. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/858e2300-ffd4-0131-e4e7-58d385a7b928/p>

Barber in the street, Shanghai

Barber in the street, Shanghai.

Postcard, 1907–1918

Young Photo Co., Shanghai (Publisher)

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. “Barber in the street, Shanghai.” The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1907 - 1918. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/c262501b-0359-8402-e040-e00a18060146

Criminal at large, Peking

Criminal at large, Peking.

Still image, 1900

The New York Public Library. "Criminal at large, Peking" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1900. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e1-1cb8-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

The Orchestra!

The Orchestra!

Photograph from Souvenir album of China, 1908

Gammon, Charles F. (Photographer)

General Research Division, The New York Public Library. “The Orchestra!” The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1908. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/8f8da060-ffd4-0131-54b4-58d385a7b928