King Rail, from the Game Birds series (N40) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes
1888–90
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
63.350.202.40.27
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th advertising with *King Rail, from the Game Birds seriesN40)*, a charming commercial color lithograph produced by the tobacco company Allen & Ginter between 1888 and 1890. These petite cards—measuring just 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 inches—were tucked into cigarette packs as collectible inserts, sparking a craze among enthusiasts, especially young boys. Part of a series celebrating North American game birds, this piece captures the King Rail, a marsh-dwelling bird prized by hunters, in exquisite detail against a naturalistic backdrop. The artwork showcases the pinnacle o...
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...