Black Hawk, Dakota Sioux, from the American Indian Chiefs series (N2) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with this petite commercial color lithograph, *Black Hawk, Dakota Sioux*, from Allen & Ginter's *American Indian Chiefs* seriesN2). Produced in 1888, this tiny card—measuring just 2 x 1½ inches—was tucked into cigarette packs as clever marketing ploy. Tobacco companies like Allen & Ginter these collectible inserts, turning everyday smokes into portals for education and fascination, especially about Native American leaders during a time of rapid westward expansion and cultural clashes. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a breakthrough technique blending multiple lithographic stones for vivid, mass-produced color—a far cry from hand-painted portraits. This ephemera captures a formal portrait of Black Hawk, emphasizing his dignified presence amid tags of "Men" and "Portraits." Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, it hails from the renowned Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, highlighting how humble trading cards preserve slices of American history. These cards fueled a collecting craze, blending commerce with curiosity about Indigenous cultures, often through idealized lenses. A charming reminder that art thrives beyond gallery walls!

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...