India, from Flags of All Nations, Series 2 (N10) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands
1890
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
63.350.201.10.22
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century ephemera with *India, from Flags of All Nations Series 2 (N10)*, a diminutive commercial color lithograph by the pioneering tobacco firm Allen & G in 1890. just 2¾ x 1½ inches, this tiny card was tucked into cigarette packs as a collectible insert, sparking a craze for trading and album-filling among enthusiasts worldwide. Part of a series celebrating global flags, it captures the flag of India—then a British colonial jewel—showcasing national pride through bold colors and precise design. Allen & Ginter revolutionized advertising and printing with c...
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...