Toadfish, from the Fish from American Waters series (N8) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1889

Curator: Alright, let’s dive into this unusual piece. This is "Toadfish, from the Fish from American Waters series" dating back to 1889. It comes to us courtesy of Allen & Ginter, rendered in colored pencil and print. Quite an oddity to find in The Met, isn't it? Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the oddity. There's something simultaneously repulsive and mesmerizing about its texture, like staring too long at pond scum. It is almost cartoonish, isn't it? Curator: Yes, it's definitely playing with that line. Allen & Ginter were, in their day, one of the largest tobacco manufacturers. They were really innovators in cigarette card marketing, including sets of birds, animals, historical figures. Fish, apparently, also fit into the public's curiosity. Editor: Ah, it’s advertising! It makes so much more sense. The almost aggressive charm of this bizarre sea creature had me thinking children’s book illustration. It's intriguing how commercial art adopts aspects we attribute to other art spheres. Curator: The “Fish from American Waters” series was designed to offer glimpses of marine life, but from a decidedly commercial viewpoint. You see, in a time where mass media was burgeoning, these cards acted almost as miniature portable museums. Editor: Right, like windows to a world most people never saw. That slightly crude impressionistic rendering probably worked wonders in small print, making the fish both exotic and accessible, in the style of a circus sideshow banner. What about color? I notice that almost sickening pastel blue. Curator: The light blue backdrop sets off the toadfish's mottled browns and reds rather dramatically. And you have to think about the conditions under which the printing process occurred. The fact they captured that level of detail across so many cards… remarkable. It speaks volumes about the industry's ambition. Editor: Makes me think, what if, back then, kids actually collected these with passion and excitement. Almost trading cards about nature... So funny how what seems crassly commercial to us was once an early form of popular science communication. Food for thought, and definitely for conversation. Curator: Absolutely. It demonstrates perfectly how artifacts, like this card, embed themselves into both our understanding of art history and cultural evolution. Thank you, I appreciate your perspectives!