Rocky Mountain Sheep, from the Wild Animals of the World series (N25) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

This is Rocky Mountain Sheep, from the Wild Animals of the World series, printed by Allen & Ginter, lithographers who operated in Richmond, Virginia. This image wasn't conceived as high art; it was a cigarette card, made to be collected. The chromolithographic technique used here allowed for mass production, and it depended on a division of labor, from the artists who made the original designs to the factory workers who operated the printing presses. If you look closely, you'll see that the image is built up from many tiny dots of color, each applied using a separate lithographic stone. This time-consuming process demanded careful calibration and a high degree of skill. The very fact of the card—its cheapness and disposability—speaks to a culture of mass production and consumption. Yet the image itself suggests a different set of values, those of the natural world. In its own way, this little card poses questions about labor, environment, and value that remain relevant today.