Hippopotamus, from the Animals of the World series (T180), issued by Abdul Cigarettes 1881

This lithograph of a hippopotamus from the “Animals of the World” series was issued by Abdul Cigarettes around the turn of the 20th century. Small cards like these were immensely popular, tucked into cigarette packs as a freebie. They were a marketing strategy designed to boost sales, but also served as a kind of informal education, introducing consumers to images of exotic animals from far-off lands. Given the global reach of European and American imperialism at this time, consider how these images were tools in shaping a worldview, one where the West was positioned as the center of knowledge and progress, while other cultures and their natural environments were reduced to collectible objects. The emotional impact of these images cannot be understated. For many, this card may have been their first glimpse of a hippopotamus, sparking a sense of wonder but also reinforcing a colonial perspective on the natural world.