Charles Cornwallis, from the Great Generals series (N15) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century ephemera with this petite commercial color lithograph, *Charles Cornwallis, from the Great Generals series (N15)*, produced in 1888 by Allen & Ginter in collaboration with George S. Harris & Sons. Tucked into packs of Allen & Ginter cigarettes, these tiny cards (just 2¾ x 1½ inches) were part of a popular marketing trend that turned tobacco products into collectibles, sparking a collecting craze among Americans. Featuring illustrious military leaders, the series celebrated historical heroes, with Cornwallis—a British general infamous for his role in the American Revolution and surrender at Yorktown—embodied in bold, patriotic imagery. Chromolithography, the innovative color printing technique used here, allowed for stunning, multi-hued reproductions on a mass scale, making fine art accessible to everyday smokers. This card's vivid details and compact format highlight the era's blend of commerce and culture, where advertising doubled as education on history and valor. Classified as prints and ephemera in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, it forms part of the renowned Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, a treasure trove of American trading cards. Today, this unassuming artifact reveals how 1880s consumer culture romanticized generals like Cornwallis, bridging Revolutionary War lore with Gilded Age nostalgia—a delightful glimpse into the past's playful promotions.

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...