Snipe, from the Game Birds series (N40) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888 - 1890

This small lithograph was created by Allen & Ginter, as part of their Game Birds series, and was included in packs of cigarettes. Here, the flat, saturated color and crisp outlines are typical of mass-produced chromolithography. Think of this technique as the Victorian era’s version of digital printing: images could be turned out quickly and cheaply. The material quality of the card stock itself is humble, but it served an important purpose. These cards were essentially meant as collectibles, meant to stiffen the cigarette packs and entice consumers. The image’s explicit themes of hunting and leisure were calculated to appeal to the burgeoning middle class, who enjoyed the outdoors as a pastime. But behind the image lies a more complex story of labor and consumption: tobacco farming, factory production, and the social rituals of smoking. So, next time you light up, consider the many hands that brought that cigarette to you, and the visual culture that promotes the habit. This small card is a reminder that even the most disposable objects have a story to tell.