Hummingbird, from the Birds of America series (N37) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes
1888
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
63.350.202.37.22
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Hummingbird*, a delicate chromolithograph from Allen & Ginter's *Birds of America* (N37), issued in 1888. Produced by the pioneering tobacco firm Allen & Ginter, this card—measuring just 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 inches—was tucked into cigarette packs as a collectible insert, sparking a craze for trading cards among smokers and enthusiasts alike. Inspired by John James Audubon's iconic ornithological illustrations, the series celebrated America's avian diversity with exquisite detail, turning everyday purchases into treasures. Crafted as a com...
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...