Algiers, from the Types of All Nations series (N24) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes
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
63.350.201.24.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, American tobacco companies like Allen & G revolutionized advertising with collectible insert cards tucked into cigarette packs. This *Algiers* card, from their 1889 *Types of All Nations* series (N24), exemplifies era's fascination with global diversity. Produced by lithographers George S. Harris & Sons, it features a stylized profile of an Algerian woman, capturing exoticized ideals of "national types" popular in Victorian-era popular culture. These tiny ephemera—measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches—sparked collecting crazes, educating (and stereotyping) everyday smokers ab...
About the Artist
George S. Harris & Sons|Allen & Ginter (American|American) · | – |
American, Richmond, Virginia|American, Philadelphia