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

This chromolithograph of a ‘Pastor’ bird, was made by Allen & Ginter for their series, ‘Song Birds of the World’ which was included in packs of their cigarettes. The late nineteenth century was a period of rapid industrial expansion, the rise of consumer culture and the expansion of advertising. The image presents us with several layers of meaning, revealing aspects of commerce, science, and popular culture. The idealized image of the bird alongside the adjacent advertisement, are meant to invoke feelings of beauty and wonder. But what is the connection between the natural world and a product like cigarettes? The advertisement seeks to attach itself to the cultural prestige of natural history. The mass production of such images coincided with a growing awareness of the natural world. Careful research into the company and the cultural context of the time can teach us more about the relationship between science and commerce in the late nineteenth century.