Shaddock, from the Fruits series (N12) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands

Art Historical Context

In the late 19th century, American tobacco companies like Allen &inter revolutionized marketing with colorful trading cards tucked into cigarette packs. This petite chromolithograph, *Shaddock* from the Fruits series (N12 dates to 1891 and exemplifies that clever strategy. Produced by the lithographers George S. Harris & Sons, the measures just 2¾ x 1½ inches, designed for easy collection and trading. It likely pairs a ripe shaddock—a large, tangy citrus fruit akin to a pomelo—with elegant female profiles, blending botanical illustration and subtle portraiture to captivate smokers and enthusiasts alike. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a booming commercial art form, layering vibrant colors through multiple stone-printing plates for stunning realism on a tiny scale. These ephemera cards educated the public on exotic fruits while promoting the brand, reflecting Gilded Age consumerism and the era's fascination with global trade goods. Part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a treasure trove of such print ephemera—this piece highlights how everyday advertising became fine art, preserved for its cultural snapshot of Victorian leisure and collecting fever.

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...