Morocco, from the Natives in Costume series (N16), Teofani Issue, for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands
ca. 1886
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
63.350.201.16.76
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Morocco*, a charming chromolithograph from the "Natives in Costume" (N16), produced around 1886 by & Ginter in collaboration with Teofani & Company. tiny card, measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches, was a promotional insert for cigarette packs, part of an innovative marketing trend that turned everyday purchases into collectible treasures. Tobacco giants like Allen & Ginter pioneered these cards, sparking a collecting craze that introduced everyday Americans to far-flung cultures through stylized portraits of people in traditional attire. ...
About the Artist
Allen & Ginter|Teofani & Company
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...