American Snake Bird, from the Game Birds series (N40) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888 - 1890

This is a chromolithograph trade card of an "American Snake Bird," part of the Game Birds series (N40) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. The card is split horizontally into two registers. The upper register shows the snake bird surrounded by foliage. The lower register shows a scene of a small wooden structure beside a sandy beach and a small boat resting in the water. The formal arrangement here is striking, as the composition mimics a natural history plate, yet its function is purely commercial. Note the contrasting styles between the highly detailed and realistic bird versus the generalized, almost stereotypical landscape elements. This contrast underscores the artificiality of the scene, highlighting the card's status as a manufactured object rather than a window onto the natural world. The dual nature of the card—both representational and artificial—pushes us to consider how the pursuit of realism is always mediated by constructed forms. The card challenges the notion of authenticity and invites reflection on the constructed nature of perception itself.