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

This “India Peacock” image was produced as a chromolithograph by Allen & Ginter, a cigarette company, as part of a series called “Birds of the Tropics.” Chromolithography was a commercial color printing technique, using a series of lithographic stones, one for each color, building up the final image. Notice the dot-screen effect, common in mass-produced images. The process allowed the creation of colorful images, making the peacock appear vibrant and exotic, even though it was printed on a small piece of cardstock intended to stiffen a packet of cigarettes. The card itself acted as an advertisement and was part of a larger cultural phenomenon, linking the consumption of tobacco with art and knowledge. This tells us about the social context of the late 19th century, where industrial production met consumer culture, and even everyday items like cigarette packs became vehicles for art and information. It's a great example of how art and commerce intertwine.