Toadfish, from Fish from American Waters series (N39) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1889

Editor: Here we have “Toadfish, from Fish from American Waters series (N39) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes,” dating to 1889. It's a colour print and drawing, featuring a rather imposing toadfish and two figures in canoes. What strikes me is the contrast in scale; the fish dominates the scene. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Beyond the immediate visual contrast, I’m interested in the materials used to create this image, and the purpose it served. It's a cigarette card; a mass-produced, collectible item. This piece is less about individual artistic expression and more about the means of production, dissemination, and its relationship to the consumer culture of the late 19th century. It's about advertising and commodification. Editor: So, the artistic merit lies more in the process and its place within society rather than a specific message conveyed? Curator: Exactly. The drawing itself, while skillfully rendered, served a specific function within the broader capitalist system. Who were the laborers creating this image, and under what conditions? How did the availability of color printing influence its distribution? This small card represents a nexus of material, labor, and commerce. Also consider the social context—the growing popularity of tobacco and the marketing strategies employed to attract consumers. The image almost feels like a scientific study and an advertisement coexisting on one small rectangle. What do you make of the chosen imagery? Editor: I guess I hadn't really considered all that went into something so small and seemingly simple. Now I see how even an object like this reveals so much about the period. It is interesting to consider what type of art was deemed suitable for this type of advertisement. Curator: Precisely! Every line, every colour, even the "Toadfish" text tells a story of manufacturing and cultural values. Editor: I'll definitely think about things like materiality, social implications and cultural forces going forward when I look at art from now on. Thank you.