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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Corea [Korea].

Corea [Korea].

Cigarette card, 1889

Coins of All Nations (Duke's Cigarettes)

George Arents Collection, The New York Public Library. "Corea [Korea]." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1850 - 1959. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47de-34f5-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Koreans walking down street

Koreans walking down street.

Photograph, 1910

The New York Public Library. "Koreans walking down street" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1910. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e1-17a6-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

A view and a manner of Korea.

A view and a manner of Korea..

Postcard, 1915 - 1930

Hinode shoko (Firm : Keijo, Chosen) (Publisher)

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. "A view and a manner of Korea." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1915 - 1930. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/c261ef12-e51f-3577-e040-e00a18067776

Traditional family clothing

Traditional family clothing.

Postcard, 1915 - 1931

Hinode shoko (Firm : Keijo, Chosen) (Publisher)

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. "Traditional family clothing." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1915 - 1930. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/c261ef12-e527-3577-e040-e00a18067776

A Korean bride and groom

A Korean bride and groom.

Print, 1920

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. "A Korean bride and groom." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1920. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e3-b990-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Three Korean dignitaries

Three Korean dignitaries.

Photograph, 1894

The New York Public Library. "Three Korean dignitaries" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1894. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e1-17a8-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99