My Own, from The World's Racers series (N32) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

"My Own" from "The World's Racers" series by Allen & Ginter Cigarettes, is a vibrant, small lithograph. It encapsulates the late 19th-century fascination with horse racing. These cards, distributed with cigarette packs, were aimed at male consumers, reflecting a society where leisure and sport were increasingly commodified. Horse racing, deeply entwined with class and race, offered a spectacle where notions of wealth, skill, and dominance converged. The jockey, an essential figure in this world, embodies a complex interplay of labor and status. Though often from humble backgrounds, they could achieve fleeting moments of fame atop their steeds. But consider the unspoken narratives: the lives of the horses, their breeding, training, and the physical demands placed upon them. "My Own" invites us to reflect on the intertwined histories of humans and animals, labor and leisure, and the ways in which these dynamics shape our cultural landscape.