Serbia, from the Natives in Costume series (N16), Teofani Issue, for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands
ca. 1886
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
63.350.201.16.81
Tags
Art Historical Context
This small commercial color lithograph from around 1886 belongs to the “Natives in Costume” series (N16), produced by the tobacco firms Allen & Ginter and Teofani & Company. Originally issued as a cigarette card, the print was designed to be tucked into packs of cigarettes, turning an everyday product into a miniature collectible. Measuring just 2¾ by 1½ inches, it depicts a man in traditional Serbian dress, part of a broader effort to introduce consumers to the world’s diverse cultures through brightly colored, portable imagery. Color lithography allowed such cards to be printed quickly and ...
About the Artist
Allen & Ginter|Teofani & Company
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...