Magnificent Bird of Paradise, from the Birds of the Tropics series (N5) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands
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
63.350.201.5.17
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Magnificent Bird of Paradise a stunning chromolithograph from Allen & Ginter's *Birds of the Trop* series (N5), issued in 1889. Produced as collectible inserts for cigarette packs, these tiny treasures—measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches—captured the exotic allure of paradise birds, luring smokers and collectors alike with their jewel-like plumage and intricate details. Printed by George S. Harris & Sons commercial color lithography, a revolutionary technique that layered up to 30 stones for vivid, multi-hued results, this ephemera exemp...
About the Artist
Allen & Ginter|George S. Harris & Sons
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...