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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Scotland.

Scotland.

Cigarette card, 1889

Coins of All Nations (Duke's Cigarettes)

George Arents Collection, The New York Public Library. "Scotland." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1850 - 1959. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47de-3535-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Dragons (Royal Scots-Greys) ; Royal Scots Fusiliers.

Dragons (Royal Scots-Greys) ; Royal Scots Fusiliers.

Print, 1889

Vallet, L. (Louis), 1856- (Artist)

The New York Public Library. "Dragons (Royal Scots-Greys) ; Royal Scots Fusiliers" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1889. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e0-e668-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

His Royal Highness, the duke of Rothesay in Highland costume.

His Royal Highness, the duke of Rothesay in Highland costume.

Print, 1886

MacDonald, John Blake, 1829-1901 (Artist)

The New York Public Library. "His Royal Highness, the duke of Rothesay in Highland costume" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1886. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e1-189a-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

The 25th -- king's own Scottish borderers.

The 25th -- king's own Scottish borderers.

Print, 1889

Giles, G. D. (Godfrey Douglas), 1857-1941 (Artist)

The New York Public Library. "The 25th -- king's own Scottish borderers" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1889. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e0-e659-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Highland officer.

Highland officer.

Print, 1917

Bone, Muirhead, Sir, 1876-1953 (Artist)

The New York Public Library. "Highland officer" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1917. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e0-e65b-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

John Paul, editor of The single tax, Glasgow, Scotland; Mrs. Thos. F. Walker, Birmingham, England; Thos. F. Walker, Birmingham, England.

John Paul, editor of "The single tax", Glasgow, Scotland; Mrs. Thos. F. Walker, Birmingham, England; Thos. F. Walker, Birmingham, England.

Portrait, 1865 - 1899

General Research Division, The New York Public Library. "John Paul, editor of "The single tax", Glasgow, Scotland; Mrs. Thos. F. Walker, Birmingham, England; Thos. F. Walker, Birmingham, England." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1865 - 1899. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47de-03b9-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99