Silver-Spangled Polish, from the Prize and Game Chickens series (N20) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 1 1/2 x 2 3/4 in. (3.8 x 7 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
63.350.201.20.35
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th ephemera with *Silver-Spangled Polish*, gem from Allen & Ginter's *Prize and Game Chickens series (N20), in 1891. These tiny commercial color lithographs, measuring just 1 1/2 x 2 3/4 inches, were tucked into cigarette packs as collectible inserts—a clever marketing ploy by the tobacco company to boost sales and foster a booming hobby among enthusiasts. Produced by The Gast Lithograph Engraving Company, this card showcases the striking Silver-Spangled Polish chicken, a fancy breed prized for its silvery plumage and elaborate crest, reflecting the era's fasci...
About the Artist
Allen & Ginter|The Gast Lithograph & Engraving 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...