German, Army, from World's Dudes series (N31) 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
63.350.202.31.42
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *German, Army, from World's Dudes series (N) for Allen & G Cigarettes* (1888), a petite chromolithograph measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches. Produced by the pioneering tobacco company Allen & Ginter, this is one insert from a popular series of 50 collectibles depicting stylish "dudes"—fashionable men from around the globe—in their elaborate uniforms and attire. Here, a stern German soldier stands proud, his military garb rendered in bold colors that capture the era's fascination with international pageantry and masculinity. Chromolithogr...
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...