Buffalo, from the Wild Animals of the World series (N25) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

Editor: Here we have "Buffalo," a watercolor illustration dating back to 1888, as part of Allen & Ginter's "Wild Animals of the World" series. It's quite a striking animal portrait, even though it's such a small-scale print. What symbols or meanings do you find embedded within this image? Curator: Immediately, the positioning catches my eye. Framing just the head isolates the animal, abstracting it, in a way, from its natural environment. This heightens the cultural memory of the buffalo. The animal itself becomes a symbol divorced from its material existence, evoking the weight of its historical and ecological role as one of the largest and most imposing animals in the continent. It's worth noting that the image emerged precisely as the species teetered towards potential extinction, therefore taking on greater value as an emblem of the Old West and ideas about a fading wilderness. Editor: That's fascinating, how its cultural significance shifts with its declining numbers! I hadn't considered the historical context so deeply. It makes the gaze seem almost… mournful. Curator: Indeed. Consider the gaze directed slightly downward – almost like the buffalo is looking into a mirror. The animal could be asking himself: is it my destiny to vanish? Or is the artist encouraging *us*, the viewer, to do this introspection, confronting the impact we had on its diminishing territory and existence. Editor: I can almost feel that weight. Thank you for highlighting those nuanced layers; it gives me so much to consider. Curator: It’s been a pleasure. The true value of such images lies in their enduring capacity to remind and move us.