What Becomes a Nation?
What Becomes a Nation?
Nationalist Desire in Print Culture
Using marquillas cigarreras, the small printed papers in which bundles of cigarettes were sold, as case studies, this chapter analyzes the development of nationalist sentiment and the iconography of national identity through the visual imagery of commodities. Marquillas cigarreras featured a virtually encyclopedic array of imagery: from natural history, architectural monuments, almanacs, serials, military uniforms and insignia, some of the most memorable marquilla series depicted costumbristic scenes of Cuban life and types, including mulatas, blacks, proverbs, literary figures and social satire. The chapter discusses the significance of cardinal Cuban products—tobacco and sugar—in the context of economic, cultural and ideological conditions, and analyzes the ways they are presented and consumed through commodity consumption. These products were crucial to the economy and the symbolic products linked to national identity, as evident on marquillas. Furthermore, their production is inextricably linked to the colonial system, including African slavery, European mercantilism and European immigration.
Keywords: Marquillas, Nineteenth century, Nationalism
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