Swallow-tailed Flycatcher, from the Birds of America series (N37) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

Curator: This is a trading card, circa 1888, featuring a Swallow-tailed Flycatcher. It comes from a series called "Birds of America," produced by Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. The work incorporates both drawing and print techniques with the application of watercolor. Editor: It’s quite striking! The composition, split into distinct panels, is initially a little jarring. The left side has this beautiful ornithological rendering against the pastel sky, but the right is dominated by…advertisements? Curator: Yes, the juxtaposition is definitely a sign of its time. The "Birds of America" series leveraged popular interest in natural history to promote cigarettes. Allen & Ginter were masters of marketing, intertwining nature, leisure, and consumerism. Note how even the floral ornamentation in the gold section repeats similar floral imagery of the advert. Editor: Looking closer at the bird itself, I’m struck by how meticulously detailed the feathers are, particularly on its tail. It presents a visual study in black and white gradations that contrasts the almost gaudy redness of the large flowers behind the text. But that gaudiness seems totally appropriate given it's hawking "Richmond Straight Cut No 1 Cigarettes ARE THE BEST." Curator: Exactly. The swallow-tailed flycatcher can symbolize freedom and agility, reflecting aspirational ideals. And look—a small butterfly hovers below the bird—almost as if waiting for a chance. Editor: What are we to read in that imagery, then? That consumerism provides such aspirational freedom? Or something else entirely? What feelings might this tiny token spark for people removed from the circumstances in which it was produced? Curator: That’s where it becomes even more compelling! We are left to ponder how commercialism uses natural imagery to further specific desires. Advertising works on emotional impact to secure attention and ultimately encourage the acquisition of certain consumer goods. We could easily consider this undercurrent within present circumstances and trends. Editor: This has really reshaped my initial reading of this deceptively complex card! There’s far more than initially meets the eye within the constraints of the square frame. Curator: Precisely! The card serves as a window into both the natural world and the cultural values of its era, revealing a narrative of ambition intertwined with the subtle undercurrent of consumer culture.