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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Siam.

Siam.

Cigarette card, 1889

Coins of All Nations (Duke's Cigarettes)

George Arents Collection, The New York Public Library. "Siam." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1850 - 1959. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47de-3539-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

A Siamese priest.

A Siamese priest.

Postcard, 1901 - 1907

Siam Photo Supply Co. (Publisher)

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. "A Siamese priest" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1901 - 1907. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/c2631e3d-fa69-f0be-e040-e00a180615d2

The 'Thai Lü' people, Northern Siam.

The 'Thai Lü' people, Northern Siam.

Postcard, 1915 - 1930

Gravure Braun & Cie. (Publisher)

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. "The 'Thai Lü' people, Northern Siam." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1915 - 1930. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/c2631e3d-fa71-f0be-e040-e00a180615d2

Types of the people. Bangkok (Siam).

Types of the people. Bangkok (Siam).

Postcard, 1901 - 1907

Siam Photo Supply Co. (Publisher)

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. "Types of the people. Bangkok (Siam)." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1901 - 1907. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/c2631e3d-fa60-f0be-e040-e00a180615d2

The 'Yang' people. Northern Siam.

The 'Yang' people. Northern Siam.

Postcard, 1915 - 1930

Gravure Braun & Cie. (Publisher)

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. "The 'Yang' people. Northern Siam." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1915 - 1930. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/c2631e3d-fa62-f0be-e040-e00a180615d2

Pri Siamskom dvore.

Pri Siamskom dvore.

Group portrait, 1890 - 1891

Brockhaus, F. A. (Friedrich Arnold), 1772-1823 (Printer)

General Research Division, The New York Public Library. "Pri Siamskom dvore" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1890 - 1891. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/b8f42753-6478-8f12-e040-e00a18063c96