Bengali, from the Song Birds of the World series (N23) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

Editor: Here we have a print titled "Bengali, from the Song Birds of the World series (N23) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes," dating back to 1890. It’s an etching and colored-pencil drawing. What really strikes me is the directness of it. It's such a simple, clear image of the bird. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: Well, what's most interesting here is understanding this object not just as "art" but as a commodity. Think about the context: it’s an insert in a cigarette pack. Consider the labor involved: from the artists and printmakers who produced the image, to the factory workers mass-producing cigarettes, down to the consumers, it's all part of a network. How does the accessibility of the piece, distributed with tobacco, change its status? Editor: That’s fascinating! So it's less about the bird itself, and more about its role within the tobacco industry? The etching process… wasn't that fairly mechanized by this point? Curator: Precisely! We need to think critically about the materials, their origins, and the manufacturing processes used. These cards are inexpensive, mass-produced items circulated within a specific social framework that normalizes commodity culture. And the "exotic" bird image—isn't that connected to colonialism and the desire for imported goods? Where did the paper come from? What dyes created these colors? It all speaks to global economies. Editor: So even a seemingly straightforward image like this one has layers of economic and social implications. This definitely makes me see it, and the art world, with a more critical eye! Curator: Absolutely. Looking at art through a materialist lens helps us uncover power structures and social relationships embedded in everyday objects. This simple card provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of 19th-century commerce and culture.