Bengali, from the Song Birds of the World series (N42) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

This is a ‘Bengali’ bird, from the ‘Song Birds of the World’ series of collectible cards, created by Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. These cards were inserted into cigarette packs and were a popular collecting fad of the late 19th century. The name ‘Bengali’ directly refers to the Bengal region of South Asia. The area was under British rule, and part of a vast colonial project during this period. This card then, is a material representation of the colonial gaze. The exoticism of the bird is extracted and commodified. This small object connected consumer culture with imperial power. The card serves as a token of global exploration and control. But what is lost in translation, in this image, is the bird’s place within a complex ecosystem. It is reduced to an aesthetic object, divorced from its history and ecology. The birds are transformed into emblems of a commercial brand, and reflect an era marked by imperial expansion, and the commodification of the natural world.