Rear Admiral, Chili, from the Naval Flags series (N17) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands
ca. 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
63.350.201.17.8
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Rear Admiral, Chili*, a gem from Allen & Ginter's Naval Flags series (N17), produced around 1888. This tiny commercial color lithograph, just 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches, captures the flag of Chile's Rear rank. Allen & Ginter, innovative tobacco magnates, pioneered the inclusion of collectible cards in cigarette packs, turning everyday smokes into treasure hunts for enthusiasts, especially young collectors. Crafted via chromolithography—a revolutionary printing technique that layered vibrant colors through multiple stone plates—this ephem...
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...