Camel, from Quadrupeds series (N41) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

This is a promotional card from the Quadrupeds series for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes, printed using chromolithography, a popular color printing technique of the late 19th century. The process involves using multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to create a layered image. We can see the camel rendered in shades of brown, while the landscape is colored with blues and yellows. This relatively inexpensive process allowed manufacturers such as Allen & Ginter, to produce these collectible cards in mass quantities. The card would have been included in packs of cigarettes as a marketing tool. The subject matter is telling: an exotic animal, rendered as a token of global trade. The camel here isn't just a beast of burden, it's also a symbol of a far-flung world brought to consumers through commerce, which in this case is the trade of tobacco. This piece reminds us that even the humblest objects can offer insight into the history of labor, marketing, and global exchange.