Pitta, from Birds of the Tropics series (N38) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1889

This is "Pitta, from Birds of the Tropics series (N38) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes," a chromolithograph trading card. It was issued by the Allen & Ginter Tobacco Company, who were based in Richmond, Virginia. Consider the historical context of the late 19th century, when consumer culture and tobacco advertising were on the rise. Cigarette cards like these were inserted into packs of cigarettes to stiffen them and entice consumers. The images on them often reflected an idealized, exoticized vision of faraway places, designed to evoke desire and aspiration in smokers. The image presents an orientalist fantasy of tropical birds and lush landscapes, far removed from the realities of industrial America. Who were these cards for, and what desires did they fulfill? What does it mean to consume a product packaged with images of tropical birds, while the realities of those places and creatures are rendered invisible? This card, while seemingly innocent, is embedded in a complex web of commerce, desire, and colonial power.