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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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Ireland.

Ireland.

Cigarette card, 1889

Coins of All Nations (Duke's Cigarettes)

George Arents Collection, The New York Public Library. "Ireland." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1850 - 1959. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47de-3513-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

The Irish remedy -- emigration to America.

The Irish remedy -- emigration to America.

Print, 1898

Staniland, Charles Joseph, 1838-1916 (Artist)

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. "The Irish remedy -- emigration to America" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1898. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e1-37da-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Mr. G.O. Trevelyan, M.P., chief secretary for Ireland.

Mr. G.O. Trevelyan, M.P., chief secretary for Ireland.

Portrait, 1882 - 1884

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library. "Mr. G.O. Trevelyan, M.P., chief secretary for Ireland. " The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1882 - 1884. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/5d5dd530-c54e-0130-f4de-58d385a7b928

Straw boys join in wedding festivities.

Straw boys join in wedding festivities.

Periodical illustration, 1911-07-08 (Questionable)

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. "Straw boys join in wedding festivities, Ireland" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1911-07-08. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e2-d0c4-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

The Irish discovery.

The Irish discovery.

Score, 1894

The S. Brainard's Sons Co. (Publisher)

Music Division, The New York Public Library. "The Irish discovery" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1894. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47de-0640-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

20-Ireland.

20-Ireland.

Costume design drawings, 1919 - 1920

Barnes, Will R., -1939 (Costume designer)

Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library. "20-Ireland" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1919 - 1920. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/d40c4b80-142a-0131-23a2-58d385a7b928