Blue Winged Teal, from the Game Birds series (N40) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Behold the vibrant *Blue Winged Teal from Allen & Ginter's *Game Birds* series (40), a charming chromolithograph produced between 1888 and 1890. This petite card, measuring just 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 inches, captures elegant duck in mid-flight against a subtle backdrop, showcasing the iridescent blue wings that give the species its name. Issued by the pioneering American tobacco company Allen & Ginter, these were tucked into cigarette packs as collect incentives, sparking a craze for trading cards among enthusiasts in the late Victorian era. Chromolithography, the era's breakthrough in color printing, enabled mass production of these vivid, detailed images with up to 30 layers of ink for lifelike plumage and naturalistic poses. Part of a broader trend in commercial ephemera, the series celebrated game birds—prized by hunters and naturalists—blending art with advertising to elevate everyday tobacco products into coveted keepsakes. Today, this gem resides in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, a monumental gift that preserves thousands of such cards. It offers a window into Gilded Age consumer culture, where art met commerce in the pursuit of beauty and sport.

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...