Tartary, from the Races of Mankind series (T181) issued by Abdul Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the world of19th-century ephemera with *Tartary*, a vibrant card from the *Races of Mankind* (T181), issued Abdul Cigarettes in 1881. This petite commercial color lithograph, just 2 3/8 × 1 3/8 inches, captures exotic allure of Central Asian peoples from the historical region of Tartary—encompassing areas like modern-day Mongolia and Siberia. Part of a popular collectible series tucked into cigarette packs, it the era's fascination with global ethnography, blending education with consumer novelty. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a breakthrough in affordable color printing, allowing mass production of detailed, eye-catching images that mimicked paintings. These cards, often traded like modern trading cards, popularized pseudo-scientific views of human diversity amid Europe's imperial expansion, though they sometimes perpetuated stereotypes. Today, this gem resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, part of the renowned Jefferson R. Burdick Collection. Donated in 1948, it offers a window into Victorian collecting culture and the intersection of commerce, art, and curiosity about the wider world.

About the Artist

Abdul Cigarettes · 1881–1881

Abdul Cigarettes, an enigmatic American entity active solely in 1881, stands as a fascinating footnote in the history of commercial art, best known for producing vibrant chromolithograph trade cards inserted into cigarette packages as promotional inserts. Little is documented about its origins or personnel, suggesting it operated as a short-lived publishing venture rather than the work of a singul...