F. Gebhard, from the Racing Colors of the World series (N22b) 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
63.350.201.22.57
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century ephemera with *F. Gebhard* from Allen & Ginter's *Racing Colors of the World series (N22b), a diminutive yet dazzling commercial color lithograph produced in 1888. These pocket-sized cards (just 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches) were tucked into cigarette packs as clever marketing ploys by the pioneering tobacco firm Allen & Ginter, sparking a collecting craze among enthusiasts. Issued as part of set N22b, this piece celebrates the colorful silks and jockeys of international horse racing, blending sport, fashion, and commerce in a single glance. At its heart is...
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...