Blue Bullfinch, from the Song Birds of the World series (N42) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Behold the delicate charm of *Blue Bullfinch*N42), a vibrant commercial color lithograph from the *Song Birds of the World series issued by Allen & Ginter Cigarettes in 1890. Produced by S. Harris & Sons this petite card—measuring just 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 inches—was designed as an enticing insert for cigarette packs, sparking a collecting frenzy among enthusiasts of the era. Allen & Ginter, pioneering tobacco marketers, used such series to blend promotion with popular interests in natural history, turning everyday purchases into treasures. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized 19th-century printing by layering vibrant colors through multiple lithographic stones, yielding lifelike depictions of the bullfinch's iridescent blue plumage and perky pose against a simple backdrop. As ephemera—printed items meant to be fleeting—this card exemplifies the artistry of commercial graphics, bridging fine art techniques with mass production. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department as part of The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, it offers a window into Gilded Age consumer culture and the era's passion for ornithology. A tiny gem reminding us how birds captivated imaginations long before digital galleries.

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...