San Francisco, U.S.N., from the Famous Ships series (N50) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes
1895
Medium
Albumen photograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 1 1/2 x 2 5/8 in. (3.8 x 6.7 cm)
Classification
Photographs|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
63.350.203.50.38
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the bustling world of 1890s America with *San Francisco, U.S.N.*, a captivating chromolithographed albumen photograph from Allen & Ginter's *Famous Ships* series (N50), issued in 1895 to promote Virginia Brights Cigarettes. These tiny treasures, measuring just 1 1/2 x 2 5/8 inches, were tucked into cigarette packs as collectible incentives, sparking a nationwide craze for trading cards among enthusiasts of all ages. Allen & Ginter, pioneering tobacco entrepreneurs, transformed everyday smoking into an educational adventure by featuring majestic vessels like the USS *San Francisco*, a...
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...