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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Morocco.

Morocco.

Cigarette card, 1889

Coins of All Nations (Duke's Cigarettes)

George Arents Collection, The New York Public Library. "Morocco." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1850 - 1959. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47de-351f-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Women watching a procession from a roof.

Women watching a procession from a roof.

Photograph, 1920

Wharton, Edith, 1862-1937 (Auctioneer)

General Research Division, The New York Public Library. "Women watching a procession from a roof" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1920. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/893ddcc2-5dfd-6605-e040-e00a18066055

Women's Day in the mosque in Morocco.

Women's Day in the mosque in Morocco.

Print, 1892

Woodville, Richard Caton, 1856-1927 (Artist)

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library. "Women's Day in the mosque in Morocco" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1800 - 1899. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/9776f7d9-d45d-943a-e040-e00a180642f9

Les malades indigènes dans la cour du dispensaire antisyphilitique, à Fez.

Les malades indigènes dans la cour du dispensaire antisyphilitique, à Fez.

Photograph, 1918

General Research Division, The New York Public Library. "Les malades indigènes dans la cour du dispensaire antisyphilitique, à Fez" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1918-02-15. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/4cc0be30-6fcb-0130-c20d-58d385a7bbd0

Bettelnde Pilger aus Jèmèn [Yemen], Pilger aus Marokko [Morocco], Indischer Pilger, Derwische aus Buchara [Bukhoro].

Bettelnde Pilger aus Jèmèn [Yemen], Pilger aus Marokko [Morocco], Indischer Pilger, Derwische aus Buchara [Bukhoro].

Photograph, 1888 - 1889

Hurgronje, C. Snouck (Christiaan Snouck), 1857-1936 (Author)

Rare Book Division, The New York Public Library. "Bettelnde Pilger aus Jèmèn [Yemen], Pilger aus Marokko [Morocco], Indischer Pilger, Derwische aus Buchara [Bukhoro]." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1888 - 1889. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dc-47c0-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Jewish Moroccan man.

Jewish Moroccan man.

Photograph, 1920 - 1980

Underwood & Underwood News Photos (Publisher)

Dorot Jewish Division, The New York Public Library. "Jewish Moroccan man" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1920 - 1980. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/3fdcdc90-d464-013a-1d6a-0242ac110003