Fantail Pigeon, from the Birds of America series (N4) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1888

This chromolithograph of a fantail pigeon comes from the Birds of America series, made for Allen and Ginter Cigarettes. These cards were produced through a complex method involving multiple limestone blocks, each inked with a different color, and printed in succession to create a layered, vibrant image. The materiality here is fascinating. The image is not drawn, but built up through this process, and while it appears to celebrate the natural world, it's actually an advertisement, inserted into cigarette packs to stiffen them and entice consumers. The intense detail achieved through chromolithography speaks to an emerging industrial capacity, where high-quality images could be mass-produced and distributed widely. This particular image would have been collected and traded, and the beauty of the bird becomes intertwined with the mass production of tobacco products. Looking at this card, it's clear that its value lies in its intersection of commerce, art, and consumer culture, blurring the lines between fine art and commercial ephemera.