Starling, from the Birds of America series (N37) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

This small card showing a Starling was produced by Allen & Ginter for their Richmond Straight Cut No. 1 Cigarettes. The card is from a series titled “Birds of America,” but let’s consider the politics of imagery here. Rather than an ornithological study, this is a piece of commercial art, designed to be collected. Allen & Ginter were based in Richmond, Virginia, and the company was formed in the years following the Civil War. So, while the title “Birds of America” implies a broad scope, we should remember that the firm itself existed in a particular place and time, and was deeply connected to the economic structures of the South. To understand the card’s significance fully, we might examine the company’s history, its labor practices, and its marketing strategies. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.