Chief Gall, Hunkpapa Sioux, from the American Indian Chiefs series (N2) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands
1888
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
63.350.201.2.49
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the striking portrait of **Chief Gall, Hunkpapa Sioux**, from & Ginter's *American Indian Chiefs* series (N2), issued in 1888 as collectible inserts for their cigarette packs. This diminutive chromolithograph—measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches—captures the Lakota leader's dignified profile against a vibrant backdrop, embodying the era's fascination with Native American figures amid America's westward expansion. Chief Gall (c. 1840–1895) was a prominent Hunkpapa Sioux, renowned for his role in the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn, where he helped defeat General Custer's forces. Allen & Gint...
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...