F. Gebhard, from the Racing Colors of the World series (N22a) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes
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
63.350.201.22.7
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *F. Gebhard* from Allen & Ginter's *Racing Colors of the World series (N22a), a delightful 1888 color lithograph. Produced by the pioneering tobacco company Allen & Ginter, this tiny card—measuring just 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches—was one of many inserted into cigarette packs to entice collectors. Part of a global series showcasing jockey silks and racing motifs, it highlights F. Gebhard amid themes of women jockeys reflecting the era's fascination with horse racing and emerging female participation in the sport. Chromolithography, the med...
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...