Festive Green Parrot, from Birds of the Tropics series (N38) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 in. (7.3 x 8.3 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
63.350.202.38.11
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the vibrant *Festive Green Parrot from the *Birds the Tropics* seriesN38), a delightful 1889 commercial color lithograph produced by Allen & Ginter in collaboration with George S. & Sons. Measuring just 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 inches, this petite print captures the exotic allure of a lush green parrot, its feathers rendered in vivid chromolithographic hues that pop against the page. These cards were ingeniously tucked into cigarette packs by the pioneering tobacco firm Allen & Ginter, transforming smokes into collectibles and sparking a craze for trading and album-filling among enthusiasts. Chro...
About the Artist
Allen & Ginter|George S. Harris & Sons
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...