Beagle, from the Dogs of the World series for Old Judge Cigarettes 1890

This chromolithograph of a beagle was produced by Goodwin & Company as part of the Dogs of the World series, used as collectible cards in Old Judge Cigarettes. These cards reflected a late 19th-century fascination with categorizing and collecting, mirroring trends in the natural sciences and anthropology of the time. The image itself presents the beagle as a breed standard. The careful depiction of its physical characteristics speaks to the growing popularity of dog breeding and shows. Made in America, these cards were a cultural phenomenon, revealing how mass production and advertising intertwined with social interests. The cards functioned within a burgeoning consumer culture, where even everyday items like cigarettes became vehicles for collecting and knowledge dissemination. Understanding this artwork requires considering the history of advertising, the rise of consumer culture, and the social dynamics of collecting. By researching these contexts, we can see how even a simple image of a dog can reflect broader cultural and historical trends.