King Rail, from the Game Birds series (N40) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th advertising with *King Rail, from the Game Birds seriesN40)*, a charming commercial color lithograph produced by the tobacco company Allen & Ginter between 1888 and 1890. These petite cards—measuring just 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 inches—were tucked into cigarette packs as collectible inserts, sparking a craze among enthusiasts, especially young boys. Part of a series celebrating North American game birds, this piece captures the King Rail, a marsh-dwelling bird prized by hunters, in exquisite detail against a naturalistic backdrop. The artwork showcases the pinnacle of chromolithography, a revolutionary printing technique that layered vibrant colors through multiple lithographic stones for stunning, affordable reproductions. Allen & Ginter, pioneers in tobacco marketing, elevated ephemera into artful objects, blending scientific accuracy with appealing realism to promote their brand while educating on wildlife. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a landmark gift of over 30,000 prints and cards—this tiny gem highlights the cultural fusion of commerce, nature illustration, and collecting. It reminds us how everyday items from Gilded Age America fueled passions that endure in museums worldwide.

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...