Hyena, from Quadrupeds series (N41) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

Curator: Here we have "Hyena," from the Quadrupeds series, created around 1890. It was part of a series of trading cards produced by Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. These cards were immensely popular, acting almost like miniature encyclopedias inserted into cigarette packs. Editor: It's striking how delicate the coloring is, for a cigarette insert. It gives a quaint impression, that's a nice contrast to what you’d expect from a predator, a bit grotesque, though there’s a carcass depicted, I imagine it relates to the actual products Curator: Indeed, there's a strong sense of refinement despite the morbid depiction of predation. The Quadruped series reflected a broader societal fascination with natural history and empire, where such illustrations aided in classifying and exhibiting colonial wildlife, all packaged alongside consumer products. Editor: Right. The color pencil work is quite fascinating as a reproducible media choice. It is really accessible but also capable of quite detailed representations; I think this card manages to convey quite a bit of volume and texture despite its diminutive size. One can really see each and every strand on that beast, even! Curator: And the realism wasn't just about documentation; it was also about conveying ideals of scientific accuracy and, ultimately, about marketing a specific vision of the world through Allen & Ginter’s brand identity. Imagine, collecting these images gave you a snapshot of Victorian ideals and values through trade, and maybe a bit of aspiration. Editor: That makes sense! And of course, thinking about these as collectibles, one can imagine the actual labour of producing thousands upon thousands of these images; it brings into sharp focus the human toil involved with popular products. Curator: Absolutely, and it gives us a different appreciation for the work when considering those processes! Editor: It certainly does. I think that looking closely has also pushed my reading toward that inherent contrast; it's intriguing! Curator: The artwork's accessibility made information, albeit biased, available to many at a pivotal moment in environmental understanding.