Walrus, from Quadrupeds series (N41) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

Editor: Here we have "Walrus, from Quadrupeds series" made in 1890, a print done with watercolor and colored pencil for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. I am immediately struck by how this image presents nature as both majestic and slightly comical. How would you interpret this work within its historical context? Curator: Well, let's consider what this image *is*. It's a cigarette card. A small collectible designed to be included in cigarette packs, used to stiffen the packaging, but also to entice people to buy more. Knowing that, what message do you think Allen & Ginter were trying to send with this image? Editor: That they wanted to appeal to consumers with something refined and educational... not just addictive! Curator: Exactly! The "Quadrupeds" series would align the brand with education and, dare I say, a veneer of sophistication. But it's more complex. Cigarette cards gained popularity during a time of intense industrialization and urbanization. These images, like the walrus, offered a glimpse into distant, exotic lands, tapping into a growing sense of global awareness, but also potentially, a kind of romantic escapism. Editor: So, it’s not just a picture of an animal, but a tiny window into a world that most people at the time would never experience firsthand. That feels… almost exploitative when connected to cigarettes. Curator: Precisely. This walrus exists within a framework of colonialism, trade, and the marketing of aspiration through easily accessible commodity like cigarettes. Its value as an art object is less about skill and artistry and more about the values it portrays and the socio-economic framework within which it was circulated. Editor: I hadn't considered the imperial implications inherent in what seems like an innocuous image! Thank you. Curator: It highlights how even seemingly simple artworks can be embedded in complex cultural and commercial narratives, prompting critical questions.