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

This small card depicting a sardine comes from a series created for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. It's a chromolithograph, a color printing process that allowed for mass production of images. What's fascinating is how this technique, usually associated with commercial ephemera, captures the silvery sheen of the fish. The layering of inks mimics the subtle gradations of light on scales. Look closely, and you'll see the care taken to depict the fish in its environment, complete with a lighthouse and a bit of fishing equipment. These cards weren't just about selling cigarettes; they were about selling an idea of America, its resources, its industries. The sardine, then as now, was a commodity, pulled from the ocean and processed for consumption. The card transforms this reality into an appealing image, a collectible item that also speaks to a larger system of labor and commerce. It shows how even the humblest of materials can reflect a complex network of social and economic forces.