Great Marbled Godwit, from the Game Birds series (N13) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands

Art Historical Context

Behold the **Great Marbled Godwit a striking chromolithograph from Allen & Ginter's *Game Birds* series (N13), issued in 1889. This petite card (just 1 1/2 x 2 3/4 inches) captures the elegant shorebird in vivid detail—its long, upturned bill, marbled plumage, and poised stance evoking the wild beauty of North American wetlands. Produced by George S. Harris & Sons these inserts were tucked into cigarette packs by the innovative tobacco firm Allen & Ginter, transforming everyday smoking into a gateway for collecting. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized 19th-century commercial printing with its ability to layer vibrant colors through multiple stone plates, yielding affordable, lifelike images for mass audiences. Part of a booming ephemera trend, these cards fueled a collecting craze among Victorians, blending ornithological accuracy with promotional savvy. Game birds like the godwit symbolized sport and nature's bounty, appealing to hunters and nature enthusiasts alike. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this tiny treasure highlights how commerce and art intertwined in Gilded Age America, preserving fleeting glimpses of wildlife for posterity. A delightful nod to history's hidden gems!

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...