Buffalo, from the Quadrupeds series (N21) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

This is a ‘Buffalo’ trading card made by Allen & Ginter as part of the Quadrupeds series. These cards were inserts in cigarette packs. In the late 19th century, the American bison teetered on the brink of extinction. By 1889, their population had plummeted from tens of millions to just a few hundred, a stark consequence of westward expansion, hunting, and governmental policies aimed at undermining Indigenous communities who relied on the buffalo. The image, rendered with a sentimental, painterly hand, captures the animal's iconic form, yet its mass-produced nature speaks to the industrial forces driving the bison's demise. Consider the cultural and economic factors at play: how the commodification of both tobacco and wildlife intersect, reflecting a changing American landscape and its impact on identity, survival, and memory. It is impossible not to feel a sense of loss, considering what has been taken.