Whip-poor-Will, from the Birds of America series (N4) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1888

This small lithograph of a Whip-poor-Will comes from the Birds of America series, designed for Allen & Ginter cigarette brands. These cards, traded and collected in the late 19th century, reflect an era of increasing industrialization and expansion, alongside a growing interest in natural history. The image presents a romantic vision of the American landscape. Yet, it's important to recognize how these images participated in a larger cultural project, one that elided the impact of colonialism and capitalism on the very landscapes they depicted. The branding is an important aspect of this work; tobacco farming and manufacture was an industry built on the exploitation of enslaved African people, and their descendants. How do we reconcile the tender image of the bird with the fraught history of its production and consumption? How does this inform our understanding of the cultural values and historical narratives embedded in popular imagery?