Apteryx, from Birds of the Tropics series (N38) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Apteryx, from of the Tropics seriesN38) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes* (1889). This commercial color lithograph, just 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 inches, captures the enigmatic flightless Apteryx—better known today as the kiwi bird from New Zealand. Produced by pioneering tobacco company Allen & Ginter and printed by George S. Harris & Sons, it was one of many collectible inserts tucked into cigarette packs to entice smokers and spark a collecting frenzy among enthusiasts. Chromolithography, the era's breakthrough technique for affordable, vivid color printing, shines here through its layered hues and precise detailing, transforming ephemeral advertising into lasting art. These cards, classified as prints and ephemera, reflect the Gilded Age's fusion of commerce and natural history illustration, popularizing exotic birds for the masses amid a boom in ornithological fascination. Today, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a treasure trove of American ephemera—this card highlights how everyday vices fueled cultural trends, bridging Victorian curiosity about the natural world with modern collecting passions. A tiny portal to tropical avian wonders, indeed!

About the Artist

Allen & Ginter|George S. Harris & Sons

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...