Cock-of-the-Rock, from the Birds of the Tropics series (N5) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands

Art Historical Context

Behold the vibrant *Cock-of-the-Rock a stunning chromolithograph from the 1889 *Birds of the Tropics* (N5), produced by Allen & Ginter their cigarette brands and printed by George S. Harris Sons. This tiny gem, measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches, captures the exotic Andean bird—famous for its fiery orange plumage and crest resembling a rooster's comb—in exquisite detail. Part of a popular 19th-century trend, these cards were tucked into cigarette packs to stiffen them and entice collectors, blending commerce with the era's fascination for natural history. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized commercial printing by layering vibrant colors through multiple lithographic stones, yielding affordable, lifelike images that mimicked fine art. Allen & Ginter, tobacco industry innovators, issued series like this to build brand loyalty amid a collecting craze, turning everyday ephemera into treasures. Today, preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a landmark gift of over 30,000 American prints—this card highlights how advertising fueled public education on global wildlife. Step into the Gilded Age's colorful world, where a puff of smoke might reveal tropical wonders!

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...