Dipper, from the Birds of America series (N37) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Dipper, from the Birds of America (N37)*, a charming commercial color lithograph produced by Allen & Ginter 1888. This card, measuring just 2 /8 x 3 1/4 inches, was one of a series of collectible inserts tucked into cigarette packs, sparking a craze for trading cards among smokers and enthusiasts alike. Allen Ginter, pioneering tobacco merchants, drew inspiration from John James Audubon's iconic *Birds of America*, transforming ornithological wonders into accessible, colorful ephemera that blended education with promotion. The artwork showcases the precision of chromolithography, a revolutionary printing technique that allowed for vivid, multi-layered colors on a mass scale—perfect for capturing the dipper bird's sleek feathers and lively pose. As part of the N37 series, it exemplifies how commercial art democratized natural history imagery, making fine bird illustrations pocket-sized treasures during the Gilded Age. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department from the Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece highlights the cultural intersection of commerce, collecting, and conservation. It reminds us how everyday objects like cigarette cards fueled public fascination with America's avian diversity. (198 words)

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...