Red and Blue Macaw, from the Birds of the Tropics series (N5) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands

Art Historical Context

Step into the dazzling world of 19th American advertising with *Red and Blue Macaw a gem from the *Birds the Tropics* seriesN5) issued by & Ginter Cigarettes 1889. Produced the skilled lithographers George S. Harris & Sons this tiny commercial color lithograph (just 2¾ × 1½ inches) captures the macaw's vivid crimson and azure feathers in exquisite detail. These cards were tucked into cigarette packs as promotional inserts, sparking a collecting craze among enthusiasts and turning everyday tobacco products into gateways for natural history education. Chromolithography, the innovative printing technique used here, allowed for stunning multi-color reproductions on a mass scale, making vibrant tropical birds accessible to the public. Allen & Ginter pioneered this format in the 1880s, blending commerce with art to advertise their brands while showcasing exotic wildlife—far from the artist's studio, yet full of life and allure. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this ephemera highlights the cultural role of trade cards in popularizing science and beauty. A snapshot of Gilded Age innovation, it reminds us how advertising once doubled as affordable artistry.

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...