Pet Cockatoo, from the Household Pets series (N194) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1891

This small card featuring a woman and a cockatoo was created by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. as part of a series called Household Pets. These cards, distributed with cigarettes, provided a glimpse into the late 19th-century fascination with domestic animals and the way they intertwined with gender and class identities. The woman, adorned with bracelets, is dressed in a manner that suggests middle-class respectability. The presence of the exotic cockatoo speaks to a certain level of wealth and a desire for novelty. While the cockatoo seems to echo the woman, its status is unclear. Is it merely a decorative accessory, or does it possess a deeper emotional significance? Such images offered a carefully constructed vision of domestic life, but also hint at the complex relationships between humans, animals, and consumer culture.