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

Curator: I'm instantly charmed by the overt sweetness here; it's so saturated, almost cloying. What's this piece to you? Editor: This is a card from the "Birds of America" series created by Allen & Ginter, originally issued with cigarettes in 1888. It features a vibrant watercolor and print of hummingbirds. Quite a juxtaposition pairing avian beauty with tobacco, right? Curator: Oh, absolutely! I love that clash, it is fascinating and weird. Like a beautiful, deadly paradox right there in your pocket! But even outside that context, there is something about how the hummingbirds, this cute little domestic scene… and all boxed up into such neat geometric spaces! How do those sharp borders make you feel? Editor: The framing emphasizes the curated nature, these idealized vignettes contained neatly in an ordered worldview. The hummingbirds themselves, often symbols of joy, energy and love—in their nest of potential. Are these elements intentionally placed, do you think? The cottage… river? Curator: It feels performative, you know? Too quaint to be simple or genuine. I see it more as packaging and not some grander symbolic play… The artist used colors to seduce consumers. It almost makes you forget it's a tiny advert selling death sticks! Editor: A point well taken! What is also interesting is the brand explicitly aligning itself with an idyllic "America." There’s a sort of implied virtue there. It’s a marketing technique as relevant today as it was then, manipulating what symbols are at hand… the hummingbirds themselves transformed into national mascots, or… emblems of wholesomeness. Curator: Right, the imagery becomes almost secondary. It’s all about selling a fantasy, not delivering truth… What does the bird even have to do with nicotine? Almost insulting! It just needs a glimmer of loveliness to snag your interest for a quick buck… Editor: Perhaps there's something more insidious here: to commodify and package nature for purchase, mirroring how landscapes and natural resources were being exploited during the Industrial Age. That idea is interesting! Curator: I like that a lot! It’s much deeper than my consumerist jab. Okay, maybe I am sold. Now I feel less annoyed at those old tobacco folks. It gives more credit to this curious artwork, after all… Editor: Ultimately, "Hummingbird" isn't just a pretty picture. It's a mirror reflecting shifting values, anxieties, and ambitions—then and now.