Kildeer Plover, from the Game Birds series (N13) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th advertising with *Kildeer Plover* from the *Game Birds* series (N13), a tiny chromolithograph produced in 1889 by Allen & Ginter in collaboration with George S. & Sons. This delicate 1 1/2 x 2 3/4-inch card captures the elegant form and distinctive markings of the killdeer plover—a shorebird known for its "kill-deer" call and broken-wing distraction display to protect its nest. Inserted into cigarette packs, these cards were part of an innovative marketing strategy that turned smokers into collectors, sparking a craze for ephemera that endures today. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized commercial printing by layering colors from multiple stone plates for vivid, affordable reproductions. Allen & Ginter's natural history series, including birds prized by hunters and ornithologists, reflected Victorian fascination with wildlife amid America's growing conservation movement. This card's precise detailing highlights the era's blend of science, art, and commerce. Now housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a treasure trove of over 30,000 cards gifted in 1948—*Kildeer Plover* exemplifies how everyday objects preserved cultural snapshots, bridging fine art with popular print culture.

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...