Captain Matthew Webb, Swam from Dover, England to Calais, France, from World's Champions, Series 2 (N29) 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
63.350.201.29.50
Tags
Art Historical Context
This vibrant chromolithograph from 1888 captures Captain Matthew Webb, the English Channel swimmer who made history in 1875 by becoming the first person to swim 21-mile stretch from Dover, England, to Calais,—in 21 hours and 45 minutes. Produced by lithographers Eddy & Claus for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes as part of their "World's Champions, Series 2 (N29)," this tiny card (just 2¾ x 1½ inches) immortalizes Webb as a heroic athlete, embodying the era's fascination with human endurance and Victorian-era celebrity. As a commercial color lithograph, the print exemplifies the advanced chromolithog...
About the Artist
Lindner, Eddy & Claus|Allen & Ginter (American|American) · | – |
American, Richmond, Virginia|American, New York