Dress Parade, from the Parasol Drills series (N18) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th advertising with *Dress Parade* from the Parasol Drills series (18), issued by Allen & Ginterarette Brands in 188. This petite chromolithograph, measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches, captures women in elegant formation, twirling parasols in a synchronized "drill" reminiscent of military parades adapted for fashion and leisure. Produced by Schumacher & Ettlinger, it was one of many collectible inserts tucked into cigarette packs, sparking a craze among enthusiasts who traded and albumed these colorful ephemera. The medium—commercial color lithography—revolutionized mass printing, enabling vivid hues and intricate details on a tiny scale through layered stone plates inked in multiple colors. Allen & Ginter, pioneers in this technique, elevated everyday tobacco promotion to artful miniature tableaux, blending commercial savvy with visual appeal. Culturally, these cards reflect Victorian fascination with women's roles in public spectacle, from gymnastics exhibitions to parasol pageantry, while subtly marketing cigarettes to a broadening audience. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, *Dress Parade* offers a charming glimpse into how commerce and collecting intertwined in Gilded Age America.

About the Artist

Allen & Ginter|Schumacher & Ettlinger

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...