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

Allen and Ginter produced this chromolithograph of a White Leghorn Hen as part of a series of collectible cards included in their cigarette packs. These cards, popular in the late 19th-century United States, reflect a culture fascinated by breeding and categorizing animals. The card elevates the hen to an object of admiration, emphasizing its breed and appearance. This interest in selective breeding mirrors broader social trends of the time. The emerging science of eugenics sought to apply similar principles to human populations, reflecting anxieties about social order and racial purity. The hen, therefore, becomes a symbol of these complex social and scientific currents. Understanding this artwork requires us to delve into the popular culture and scientific discourse of the time. Printed ephemera, like these cards, offer valuable insights into the values and anxieties of a society grappling with industrialization, immigration, and new scientific ideas.