Goldfinch, from the Birds of America series (N4) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands
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
63.350.201.4.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints collection, where we encounter a delightful gem from 1888: *Goldfinch, from the Birds of America series (N4)*, produced by the pioneering tobacco firm Allen & Ginter. This tiny commercial color lithograph (just 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches) was one of thousands of collectible trade cards inserted into cigarette packs. In the late 19th century, companies like Allen & Ginter revolutionized marketing by pairing their products with beautifully illustrated series on natural history themes, turning everyday smokers into avid collectors. The ca...
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...