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

Editor: This is "Woodcock, from the Game Birds series" made between 1888 and 1890 by Allen & Ginter. It’s a drawing and print from a cigarette card, and what strikes me most is how it juxtaposes this almost scientifically detailed bird with this idyllic, almost impressionistic landscape below. What do you make of that contrast? Curator: Well, focusing on the materiality, consider the purpose of this object: a promotional insert in a cigarette pack. The detailed depiction serves less an artistic aim and more of a function, lending an air of scientific accuracy, of quality and class to the product. Editor: That makes sense. So it's less about artistic expression and more about commodity branding? Curator: Exactly. Allen & Ginter leveraged the woodcock's perceived natural value to elevate the cigarette brand. And it’s important to note, tobacco agriculture during that period had its own socio-economic implications concerning labor practices and land usage. Do you think those implications played into the construction and presentation of value to the consumers? Editor: Hmm, possibly! There is this implicit endorsement connecting to the nature they portray… Curator: Right, by putting this “natural” stamp on it, a consumer in turn perhaps ignored where their products actually came from? Editor: This has reshaped how I initially viewed it. It’s so interesting to delve into how commerce influences artistic and manufacturing choices! Curator: Indeed. Examining the conditions of production is as crucial as examining the image itself. I, too, walk away thinking more about art as an advertisement object to persuade people.