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

This is a chromolithograph of a tapir, made by Allen & Ginter for their Wild Animals of the World series of cigarette cards. These cards, popular in the late 19th century in the United States, were not primarily about art, but about brand marketing. The cards speak to the growth of consumer culture at the time, with tobacco companies using images of exotic animals to appeal to a sense of global adventure and sophistication among their customers. But beyond just selling cigarettes, such images also reflect the increasing public interest in natural history and exploration, driven by scientific expeditions and the growth of museums. The tapir, an animal then little-known to most Americans, is presented here as a curiosity, a collectible, much like the cigarette packs themselves. As an art historian, I might look into the distribution networks of Allen & Ginter, or delve into the zoological literature of the period, to better understand the cultural work being done by images like this one. In the end, the meaning of this image is found in its rich social and institutional context.