Texas, from Flags of the States and Territories (N11) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands
1888
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
63.350.201.11.83
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, Allen & Ginter, a American tobacco company, revolutionized marketing by inserting colorful collectible cards into their cigarette packs. This petite chromolithograph, *Texas, from Flags of the States and TerritoriesN11)*, issued in 1888, exemplifies their innovative series celebrating American patriotism. Measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches, was designed for easy collection and trading, sparking a craze among enthusiasts—especially children—who pasted them into albums. Produced via commercial color lithography, a technique that allowed vibrant, multi-layered printing at sc...
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...