Mother Carey's Chicken, from the Birds of America series (N37) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

This card, one of Allen & Ginter’s Birds of America series, depicts a bird known as Mother Carey's Chicken, set against a stylized marine backdrop. This bird, likely a storm petrel, is swathed in mystery and folklore. Sailors often associated these birds with storms, seeing them as omens of impending danger, earning them names linked to a mythical Mother Carey, a sea goddess-like figure. The image is reminiscent of ancient Greek depictions of sea deities or nymphs attending to marine creatures. In those classical images, the sea was a source of both sustenance and peril, emotions projected onto the natural world. Here, the bird takes flight above the water, a potent symbol of life and death. Notice the bird's association with the sea, an unconscious recognition of nature's power over human destiny. This cyclical reappearance underscores how symbols evolve. From ancient deities to sailors' omens to commercial cigarette cards, this storm petrel carries a blend of hope, fear, and commercial promise.