George Washington, from the Great Generals series (N15) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands
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
63.350.201.15.46
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century American advertising with *George Washington, from the Great Generals series (15)*, a diminutive commercial color lithograph in 1888 by Allen & Ginter in collaboration with George S. & Sons. Issued as inserts in cigarette packs, these cards were part of a popular trend where tobacco companies like the innovative Allen & Ginter brand used collectible series to boost sales and captivate audiences. Measuring just 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches, this pocket-sized portrait honors the first U.S. president as a heroic general, tapping into post-Civil War reverence fo...
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...