Order of the White Falcon, Saxe Weimar, 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
63.350.202.44.48
Tags
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of's Drawings and Prints department, where we showcase fascinating ephemera like this *Order of the White Falcon Saxe Weimar* (1890). Issued as part of Allen & Ginter's "'s Decorations" seriesN44), this petite commercial color lithograph (just 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 inches) depicts the prestigious badge of the Order of the Falcon, a chivalric honor from the German duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Each. Founded in 1872 by Grand Duke Charles Alexander, the order symbolized loyalty and merit amid Europe's royal traditions. Produced by Allen & Ginter—pioneers of colorful trading car...
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...