Horned Screamer, from Birds of the Tropics series (N38) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1889

This small card, "Horned Screamer," from the Birds of the Tropics series, was created by Allen & Ginter for their Cigarettes. The card is divided into two distinct panels which operate almost like diptychs, each presenting different modes of visual information. On the left, a vibrantly rendered bird stands against a soft sky, its detailed plumage and slender legs capturing our attention. To the right, a landscape unfolds, framed by an ornate, curvilinear border, featuring a quaint village nestled beneath a mountain backdrop. The juxtaposition of the bird and the landscape creates a symbolic tension. The bird, meticulously detailed, seems isolated, set against an impressionistic sky. The landscape on the other hand, though picturesque, is confined within the rigid frame of the cigarette card, hinting at the commodification of nature. This tension invites us to consider how these images, functioning as signs, reflect and perhaps critique the late 19th-century attitudes towards nature and commerce.