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

This small card featuring a leopard was produced by Allen & Ginter, a Richmond-based cigarette company. It’s a chromolithograph, a color printing process that was very popular in the late 19th century. These cards were essentially promotional inserts, meant to stiffen cigarette packs and entice consumers. The process involved creating a series of lithographic stones, one for each color, and then printing them in sequence to create a complete image. The result is this jewel-like surface, the color dense and carefully calibrated. The image is beautifully rendered, of course, but the card also speaks volumes about the culture of consumption and global trade at the time, both of which were central to the expansion of capitalism. Cigarettes and collectible cards – both were products of their time. So, even a seemingly simple image like this leopard can open a window onto a complex world.