Black-breasted Barbet, from the Song Birds of the World series (N23) 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
63.350.201.23.8
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the vibrant *Black-breasted Barbet a gem from the *Song Birds of the World* series (N23), by Allen & Ginter Cigarettes in 1890. Produced as collectible inserts for cigarette packs, these diminutive cards—measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches—captured the public's fascination with exotic wildlife during the Gilded Age. Allen & Ginter, pioneers in tobacco marketing, partnered with Philadelphia lithographers George S. & Sons to create these affordable treasures, blending education with commerce. Crafted as a commercial color lithograph, the card showcases the era's chromolithographic mastery, whe...
About the Artist
Allen & Ginter|George S. Harris & Sons
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...