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

This Walrus image was made by Allen & Ginter for their Wild Animals of the World series, printed on a small card which was included in cigarette packs. The image is a chromolithograph, a color printing technique using multiple lithographic stones. Notice the somewhat coarse texture and the way the colors are built up from tiny dots. This was a mechanized process, requiring teams of artists to prepare the stones and operate the printing presses. It represents a kind of industrialization of image-making. The card itself is thin and mass-produced, a throwaway item designed to be collected and traded. The walrus is rendered in a stylized manner, more symbolic than realistic, reflecting the commercial purpose of the image, a world of nature packaged for the masses, brought to you courtesy of nicotine addiction. Next time you see a seemingly simple image like this, remember the complex web of materials, processes, and social context that brought it into being. It challenges our traditional notions of fine art, by showing how images became part of everyday life through mass production.