Moose, from the Quadrupeds series (N21) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 in. (7 x 3.8 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick
Accession Number
63.350.201.21.32
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming 1890 color lithograph depicts a majestic moose as part of Allen & Ginter’s Quadrupeds series (N21), a set of small trading cards issued with cigarettes. Measuring just 2¾ by 1½ inches, the print was created through commercial lithography, a technique that allowed vibrant colors and fine details to be reproduced affordably for mass distribution. The card’s modest size made it easy for customers to collect and trade, turning everyday purchases into opportunities for learning about wildlife. Allen & Ginter, a leading American tobacco company, collaborated with printers such as Lind...
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...