Rainbow Pitta, from the Birds of the Tropics series (N5) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Rainbow Pitta* from the *Birds the Tropics* seriesN5), produced by Allen & Ginter 1889. This petite commercial color lithograph, measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches, was designed as an insert for cigarette packs—a clever marketing ploy by the pioneering tobacco firm to entice collectors. Allen & Ginter, in collaboration with printers George S. Harris & Sons, created these cards to showcase exotic birds, blending education with commerce during the Gilded Age boom in consumer culture. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized mass printing with its layered inks that captured the Rainbow Pitta's iridescent blues, greens, and reds in stunning detail. This technique allowed affordable, vivid reproductions of natural history illustrations, making tropical wildlife accessible to everyday Americans who might never see such birds in person. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this ephemera highlights how everyday objects fueled passions for ornithology and collecting. Once discarded wrappers, these cards now preserve a slice of cultural history, reminding us of art's unexpected roles in popular entertainment. (198 words)

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...