Nebraska, 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
63.350.201.11.57
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of19th-century American advertising with *Nebraska, from Flags of the States and TerritoriesN11)*, a diminutive chromolithograph produced by the pioneering tobacco firm Allen & Ginter in 1888. This tiny card—measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches—was one of 50 in a popular series inserted into cigarette packs to entice collectors and boost brand loyalty. Allen & Ginter, led by innovative entrepreneurs, revolutionized marketing by transforming everyday smokes into treasure troves of colorful ephemera, capturing the spirit of a growing nation. The card proudly showcases Nebra...
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...