Serbia, from Flags of All Nations, Series 2 (N10) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands
1890
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
63.350.201.10.38
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century ephemera with *Serbia, from Flags of All Nations, 2 (N10)*, a diminutive commercial color lithograph produced by the pioneering tobacco company Allen & Ginter in 1890. Measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches, this tiny print was one of many collectible cards inserted into cigarette packs, transforming everyday smoking into a global adventure. Part of a popular series showcasing national flags, it captures Serbia's emblem amid a wave of nationalism sweeping Europe at the fin de siècle. Chromolithography, the medium's hallmark technique, allowed for stunning, m...
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...