Counter-Archives in
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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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England.

England.

Cigarette card, 1889

Coins of All Nations (Duke's Cigarettes)

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

Women and girl outdoors, England, 1890s

Women and girl outdoors, England, 1890s

Print, 1891

The New York Public Library. "Women and girl outdoors, England, 1890s" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1891. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e0-ebf0-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Miss May Yohé

Miss May Yohé.

Photograph, 1895

Ellis, Alfred (Photographer)

The New York Public Library. "Miss May Yohé" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1895. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e0-ebe9-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

In the garden of the Tuileries

In the garden of the Tuileries.

Print, 1889

Dinsdale, I. (Artist)

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. "In the garden of the Tuileries" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1889. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e0-e9c9-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Seaside costumes

Seaside costumes.

Print, 1883

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. "Seaside costumes" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1883. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e0-e9ea-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Costumes for country wear

Costumes for country wear.

Print, 1883

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. "Costumes for country wear" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1883. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e0-e95f-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99