Lobster, from the Fish from American Waters series (N8) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands

Art Historical Context

This vibrant commercial color lithograph from 1889 depicts a lobster as part of Allen & Ginter’s “Fish from American Waters” series (N8), issued as collectible cards tucked inside cigarette packages. Produced by the Richmond-based tobacco firm in collaboration with printers Lindner, Eddy & Claus, the tiny print—measuring just 1 ½ by 2 ¾ inches—belonged to a broader marketing strategy that turned everyday smoking into an opportunity for collecting and learning about North American marine life. Color lithography allowed for bright, affordable reproduction at scale, making these cards both eye-catching advertisements and miniature educational tools. Each card in the series highlighted a different species, encouraging consumers to assemble complete sets while subtly promoting American natural resources during an era of growing national pride and industrial expansion. Today preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Burdick Collection, the work illustrates how commercial ephemera can capture the intersection of popular culture, science, and design. Its survival reminds us that even the smallest printed objects once carried the wonder of the natural world into everyday pockets.

About the Artist

Allen & Ginter|Lindner, Eddy & Claus

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...