Mrs. George Gould (Edith M. Kingdon), 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
63.350.201.26.23
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the glittering Gilded Age of 1888, Allen & Ginter, pioneering American tobacco company, issued this enchanting chromolithograph as part of their "World's Beauties, Series 1" (N26) cigarette cards. Measuring a petite 2¾ x 1½ inches, it features Edith M. Kingdon, as Mrs. George Gould a prominent society figure married to the son of railroad tycoon Jay Gould. These tiny portraits celebrated the era's ideals of feminine beauty, blending celebrity allure with commercial savvy to entice collectors and boost cigarette sales. Produced via commercial color lithography—a vibrant printing technique t...
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...