Albert R. Lamar, The Macon Telegraph, from the American Editors series (N1) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands
1887
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 in. (7 x 3.8 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick
Accession Number
63.350.201.1.27
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Albert R. Lamar, The Mac Telegraph*, a gem from Allen & Ginter's *American Editors series (N)*, issued in 1887. Produced as inserts for their popular cigarette packs, these diminutive chromolithographs—measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches—were pioneering collectibles that transformed tobacco marketing into a cultural phenomenon. Allen & Ginter, innovative tobacco magnates, launched some of the earliest card sets, enticing smokers with portraits of notable figures to boost brand loyalty and spark a collecting craze. This card honors Albert...
About the Artist
Allen & Ginter
Allen & Ginter, the pioneering American tobacco firm based in Richmond, Virginia, emerged around 1880 from the partnership of John F. Allen and Lewis Ginter, evolving from Allen's earlier John F. Allen & Company. Allen retired in 1882, succeeded by John Pope, yet the brand endured under Ginter's leadership, employing over 1,100 workers—mostly women—for hand-rolled cigarettes by 1886. Ginter, a Dut...