Whip-poor Will, from the Birds of America series (N37) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

This is a trade card of the Whip-poor-will bird, printed by Allen & Ginter of Richmond, Virginia, as part of a series of birds of America. These cards were printed and distributed in the late nineteenth century as promotional items for the company’s cigarettes. Trade cards like this one, with their patriotic imagery, were aimed at a mass market and signal the rise of consumer culture in America. Produced in Richmond, we should remember that the economy of this state was deeply bound up with the history of slavery and agriculture. It's interesting to note the patriotic red, white, and blue shield, alongside the carefully chosen name of the bird, presented as a signifier of American identity. Historians delve into sources like periodicals, business records, and popular culture ephemera to better understand the relationship between art, commerce, and identity in specific times and places. The meaning of art is thus contingent on social and institutional contexts.