Baltimore Oriole, from the Birds of America series (N37) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes
1888
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 in. (7.3 x 8.3 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
63.350.202.37.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century American ephemera with *Baltimore Oriole, from the Birds of America series (N37) for Allen & Ginter Cig* (1888). Produced by the pioneering tobacco firm Allen & G, this petite commercial color lithograph (just 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 inches) was one of many collectible inserts tucked into cigarette packs. Drawing inspiration from John James Audubon's iconic *Birds of America the series captured the nation's fascination with natural history, transforming fine art ornithology into accessible, everyday treasures for smokers and collectors alike. Chromolithograph...
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...