Crow, from the Birds of America series (N4) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1888

This small card, featuring a crow, was produced by Allen & Ginter of Richmond, Virginia. It's one of a series of bird images printed to promote their cigarettes. Now, consider the material. This isn't an oil painting or a marble sculpture, but a chromolithograph, a color print made using a series of lithographic stones. Each stone would have been drawn with a different color ink, layered to produce a richly toned image, with the goal of creating a compelling collectible that would keep customers coming back for more. The mass production of these cards speaks volumes about industrialization and the rise of consumer culture. Think about the skilled labor involved in making these cards, and the tobacco products they advertised. These were produced in Richmond, Virginia, a major hub of the tobacco industry that relied heavily on the labor of enslaved and, later, exploited African American workers. The humble cigarette card, therefore, prompts us to reflect on the intersection of commerce, art, and the social realities of its time.