Farmer, from World's Smokers series (N33) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Farmer, from World's Smokers series (N33, a charming commercial color lithograph produced by the pioneering tobacco company Allen & Ginter in 1888. Measuring just 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches, this petite print was designed as a collectible insert for cigarette packs, enticing smokers with colorful depictions of diverse figures enjoying their habit. Here, a sturdy farmer embodies rural American life, pipe in hand, capturing the era's romanticized view of tobacco as a wholesome pastime. Chromolithography, the medium's breakthrough technique, allowed for vivid, multi-layered colors on inexpensive paper—revolutionizing mass-produced imagery and fueling the trading card craze. Allen & Ginter, innovators in the industry, issued these "World's Smokers" cards as savvy marketing, blending artistry with commerce to build brand loyalty among collectors. Part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this ephemera highlights how everyday objects became cultural touchstones. Today, it offers a window into Gilded Age smoking culture, where such cards reflected social norms—predominantly men puffing away amid professions from sailors to statesmen. A delightful snapshot of history's lighter side!

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...