Black Head Duck, from the Game Birds series (N13) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1889

Editor: Here we have "Black Head Duck," an 1889 print from the Game Birds series by Allen & Ginter, a tobacco company. It's charming, but almost…stiff. It reminds me of very old nature illustrations, kind of flattened. What do you see in this image? Curator: The duck, centrally located, becomes an emblem – less about ornithological accuracy and more about symbolic representation. What do ducks represent for you, generally? Consider the cultural baggage these images carried. Editor: Hmm. Ducks...they're sort of in-between things, aren’t they? Not quite wild, not quite domestic. And these cards were inserted in cigarette packs, weren’t they? Were they trying to make smoking seem…natural? Curator: Exactly! Consider how they visually link this ‘natural’ image of a wild duck with something decidedly *unnatural* - mass-produced cigarettes. There's an inherent tension. Notice the sunset or sunrise, what does the artist emphasize? Are those grass stems providing something more? Editor: That stylized sun is fascinating. The grass too. It seems… hopeful. But also mass-produced due to the brand needing to get this out quick and cheap with the cigarette. I wonder who actually collected these, and why? Curator: These images tapped into the late 19th-century fascination with collecting and categorizing the natural world. They reflected a growing interest in outdoor pursuits, coupled with, shall we say, a less-than-acute understanding of health! What happens when you bring those assumptions to bear? Editor: I guess it speaks to a desire to feel connected to nature, even in the face of industrialization. Almost like a pocket-sized, idealized version of it. It feels a bit melancholy, actually. Curator: I agree. This speaks volumes about cultural aspirations, anxieties, and even the contradictions of its time. I’ve really learned something from you today. Editor: Me too. I never considered a cigarette card could be so…complicated!