Prairie Dog, from the Quadrupeds series (N21) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

Curator: Ah, here’s an oddity: a prairie dog depicted with coloured pencils from an 1890 series by Allen & Ginter, printed for their cigarettes. Part of their "Quadrupeds" series. Can you imagine collecting these back then? Editor: My first thought? "Awwww." It's charming in a way that feels incredibly… gentle. Like something from a children's book. Curator: Interesting that you pick up on gentleness. Considering the context—a cigarette card—it feels designed to inspire a different feeling, maybe relaxation, or a link to an idealized outdoors, through something as prosaic as tobacco. Editor: Well, look at the dog's posture, it’s scurrying, sure, but without alarm, and those soft pastels that shape it. It feels more like an affectionate mascot, rendered with a studied observation of nature. Academic art does not feel so accessible often, yet it makes it appear non-pretentious. Curator: Definitely idealized. I think Allen & Ginter chose a style of precise observation to evoke notions of trustworthiness and erudition - lending an aura of quality to their brand, perhaps. The careful lines and colors suggest reliability. Editor: So you see them co-opting the animal's "brand," too? I wonder about this prairie dog as a symbol. Are they referencing something particular? Is it about expansion, life on the open ranges, the 'untamed' West, domesticated by industry? Curator: It is fascinating how they tapped into an idea. Before the twentieth century truly dawned. Before these lands became fully defined by agriculture. These cigarette cards allowed for brief glimpses into idealized scenes, maybe the last whispers of a quickly disappearing natural world, as pocket-sized collectables. Editor: It speaks volumes doesn't it? Pocket sized desires, dreams captured for a fleeting exhale of smoke.