Lynx, from Quadrupeds series (N41) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

This small card, part of Allen & Ginter's Quadrupeds series, was printed for their cigarettes using lithography, a method that allows for mass production and distribution. The choice of lithography isn't just about ease; it reflects the card's purpose as a collectible inserted into cigarette packs, a marketing strategy tied to wider social issues of consumption. Note the depiction of the lynx alongside a scene of trapping – these images are part of a larger narrative connecting the consumption of cigarettes to nature. The printing process is crucial here, because it allowed for the wide dissemination of these images. The amount of work involved in the production process – from the artist who designed the image, to the printing workers, to the factory workers who packaged the cigarettes – highlights the many layers of labor involved in this seemingly simple card. By examining the materials and processes used to create this card, we can begin to understand how it reflects the cultural and economic forces of its time, blurring the lines between art, craft, and commerce.