Great Bird of Paradise, 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
63.350.202.38.13
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Great Bird of Paradise*, a stunning chromolithograph from the *Birds of the Tropics* series (N38), issued by Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1889. Produced collaboration with George S. Harris & Sons this petite print (just 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 inches) captures the allure of the resplendent bird native to New Guinea's rainforests, its iridescent plumage and elaborate tail feathers rendered in vivid hues of blue, gold, and crimson. These cards were tucked into cigarette packs as collectibles, transforming everyday tobacco products into gateways 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...