England, from the Natives in Costume series (N16), Teofani Issue, for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands
ca. 1886
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
63.350.201.16.64
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *England*, a charming chromolithograph from the "Natives in Costume" (N16), produced around 1886 by Allen & Ginter in collaboration with Teofani & Company. tiny card, measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches, was a collectible insert for cigarette packs, part of popular trend where tobacco brands like Allen & Ginter pioneered trading cards to captivate smokers and build brand loyalty. The series showcased global cultures through stylized depictions of people in traditional attire, with this example highlighting English figures—likely men in per...
About the Artist
Allen & Ginter|Teofani & Company
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...