Marchioness of Kildare, from World's Beauties, Series 1 (N26) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes
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
63.350.201.26.28
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, American tobacco companies like Allen & Ginter revolutionized advertising with colorful collectible cards tucked into cigarette packs. This commercial color lithograph, *Marchioness of Kare, from World's Beauties, Series 1 (N26)* (1888), exemplifies their innovative "World's Beauties", which celebrated aristocratic and fashionable women from around the globe. Measuring just 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches, it was designed for easy collection and trading, transforming everyday ephemera into coveted keepsakes. Produced via chromolithography—a cutting-edge technique layering vibra...
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...