The Order of the Netherlands Lion of Holland, from the World's Decorations series (N44) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 in. (7.3 x 8.3 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
63.350.202.44.25
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century ephemera with *The Order of the Netherlands of Holland*, a petite commercial color lithograph from & Ginter's *World's Decorations* (N44), issued in 1890. Measuring just 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 inches, this card captures the intricate design of the prestigious Dutch chivalric order founded in 1811 to honor distinguished service. Produced by the pioneering tobacco firm Allen & Ginter in collaboration with artists Lindner, Eddy & Claus it was one of many collectible inserts tucked into cigarette packs, sparking a global craze for trading cards. Chromolithograph...
About the Artist
Allen & Ginter|Lindner, Eddy & Claus
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...