Indigo Bird, from the Song Birds of the World series (N42) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

This chromolithograph of an indigo bird was produced as a collectible insert for Allen & Ginter cigarettes. Chromolithography was a popular 19th century printing technique allowing for mass production of color images, and was often used for advertising and ephemera. Consider the implications of this method: an image, originally hand-drawn, translated through a laborious, multi-layered printing process, to be distributed with a product promising instant gratification. The indigo bird itself, rendered in vibrant blues and oranges, is carefully composed. Yet, its inherent quality of being reproduced cheaply and in large quantities suggests a tension between the desire for artistic beauty and the realities of mass production. The card, like the cigarette, is a disposable commodity, and this tension highlights the relationship between art, commerce, and consumption. It invites us to consider the social and economic context in which it was made, questioning the distinction between high art and everyday life.