Louisiana, from Flags of the States and Territories (N11) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands
1888
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
63.350.201.11.39
Tags
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum Art's Drawings and Prints collection! This petite commercial color lithograph,Louisiana, from Flags the States and Territories (N11) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands* (1888), captures the vibrant state flag of Louisiana in vivid hues. Produced by the pioneering tobacco firm Allen & G, it measures just 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches—perfectly sized as an insert for cigarette packs, sparking America's early obsession with trading cardsIn the late 19th century, during a boom in mass production and national pride post-Civil War, companies like Allen & Ginter used chrom...
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...