Wheaten Game Hen, from the Prize and Game Chickens series (N20) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1891

Editor: This is a "Wheaten Game Hen" print from 1891, part of the "Prize and Game Chickens" series by Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. It’s smaller than I expected! It kind of reminds me of old baseball cards. What strikes you most about it? Curator: Well, aside from the utter charm of it, I find myself strangely moved by the artistry they put into what was essentially advertisement. This wasn't high art, and yet, look at the details rendered in coloured pencil. Imagine the artist meticulously capturing each feather, the light on its…chicken brow? Do you think they knew this would end up in a museum one day? Editor: Probably not! It’s cool how the impressionistic background makes the hen pop out, though. Was this type of collectible card common back then? Curator: Immensely popular! Cigarette cards were like little windows into different worlds – sports, nature, history… they were incredibly effective marketing. And Allen & Ginter were masters of the form. This particular hen, perched so proudly on her little stone pedestal...it's like they were elevating the everyday. And to think someone casually tossed this into a pocket with a pack of smokes. What do you make of that juxtaposition? Editor: That’s so wild to consider. I guess art really can pop up in unexpected places, and everyday objects can become art! Curator: Precisely! And isn't that the beauty of it all? We assign value, we elevate certain objects, but ultimately, art is just… everywhere. Waiting to be noticed, like this dignified hen, staring down from a tiny card. Who knew a chicken could be so thought-provoking? Editor: It gives you a new perspective, for sure. Thanks for pointing that out! Curator: My pleasure. Always a joy to find art in the most unlikely nests.