Stamp on envelope, from the Novelties series (N122) issued by Gail & Ax Tobacco to promote Navy Long Cut
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 4 3/16 × 2 1/2 in. (10.7 × 6.4 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
63.350.206.122.4
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming chromolithograph, titled *Stamp on Envelope* from Gail & Ax Tobacco's Novies series (N122 dates to 1889 and served as a promotional insert to advertise their Navy Long Cut tobacco. Measuring just 4 3/16 × 2 1/2 inches, this tiny commercial color lithograph exemplifies the era's innovative advertising ephemera—often tucked into product packages or envelopes to delight collectors and boost brand loyalty. Produced during the Gilded Age boom in mass marketing, the print showcases the vibrancy of chromolithography, a technique that layered colors through multiple stone plates for viv...