Sacred Kingfisher, from Birds of the Tropics series (N38) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1889

This chromolithograph of a Sacred Kingfisher comes from a series of collectible cards included in Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. Produced in the late 19th century, this card exemplifies the intersection of commerce, science, and colonial expansion. The image creates meaning through a combination of visual codes and cultural references. The bird, rendered with scientific precision, sits against an exoticized tropical backdrop, meant to evoke a sense of the far-off lands that were increasingly accessible through trade and colonial ventures. The packaging of cigarettes with images of this kind catered to a growing desire for knowledge about and access to the wider world. The company's branding is printed in bold on the edge of the card; a reminder of the economic structures that fueled the production and distribution of such images. The image invites us to consider the social conditions that shaped artistic production and consumption. To understand it better, we can look into the company's history, consumer culture, and the relationship between science and commerce. Art, in this case, is contingent on its social and institutional context.