Hippopotamus, from the Animals of the World series (T180), issued by Abdul Cigarettes
1881
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 1 5/8 × 2 3/4 in. (4.2 × 7 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
63.350.246.180.14
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the whimsical world of 19th advertising with *Hippopotamus* from the *Animals of World* series (T), issued by Abdul Cigarettes in 1881. This petite commercial color lithograph, measuring just 1 /8 × 2 3/4 inches, was designed as an insert for cigarette packs, sparking a collecting craze among smokers and families alike. Part of a popular series showcasing global wildlife, it captures the massive, river-dwelling hippo in vivid detail, blending education with promotion during the height of the Victorian tobacco trade. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized mass printing by...
About the Artist
Abdul Cigarettes · 1881–1881
Abdul Cigarettes, an enigmatic American entity active solely in 1881, stands as a fascinating footnote in the history of commercial art, best known for producing vibrant chromolithograph trade cards inserted into cigarette packages as promotional inserts. Little is documented about its origins or personnel, suggesting it operated as a short-lived publishing venture rather than the work of a singul...