Order of the Iron Crown, Austria, from the World's Decorations series (N44) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 in. (7.3 x 8.3 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
63.350.202.44.20
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with this charming commercial color lithograph, *Order of the Iron Crown Austria*, from Allen & Ginter's "'s Decorations" seriesN44). Produced in 1890, this petite card—measuring just 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 inches—was a promotional insert tucked into cigarette packs, sparking a collecting craze among enthusiasts. Tobacco giants like Allen & G pioneered these trade cards, blending education with marketing to showcase global medals and honors, turning everyday smokers into armchair historians. The artwork depicts the prestigious Order of the Iron C...
About the Artist
Allen & Ginter|Lindner, Eddy & Claus
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...