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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Japan.

Japan.

Cigarette card, 1889

Coins of All Nations (Duke's Cigarettes)

George Arents Collection, The New York Public Library. "Japan." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1850 - 1959. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47de-3517-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Wayside eating and drinking; story-teller [with mask]; story-teller.

Wayside eating and drinking; story-teller [with mask]; story-teller.

Photograph, 1880 (Questionable)

Van Buren, Thomas B. (Thomas Brodhead), 1824-1889 (Author)

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. "Wayside eating and drinking; story-teller [with mask]; story-teller." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1880. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e4-08db-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Massage, Peddlers, and A Store.

Massage, Peddlers, and A Store.

Photograph, 1870 - 1889 (Questionable)

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. "Massage, Peddlers, and A Store" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1870 - 1889. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47d9-c61b-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Dress Up.

Dress Up.

Photograph, 1890 - 1909 (Questionable)

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. "Dress Up" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1890 - 1909. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47d9-c538-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

A Kabuki Actor.

A Kabuki Actor.

Photograph, 1890 - 1909 (Questionable)

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. "A Kabuki Actor" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1890 - 1909. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47d9-c545-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Japanese Men and Women : Hairdressing, and Riding Rickshaw.

Japanese Men and Women : Hairdressing, and Riding Rickshaw.

Photograph, 1870 - 1889 (Questionable)

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. "Japanese Men and Women : Hairdressing, and Riding Rickshaw" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1870 - 1889. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47d9-c67c-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99