Shark, from Fish from American Waters series (N39) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Shark, from Fish from American Waters series (N39, a delightful chromolithograph produced in 1889 by the firm Lindner, Eddy & Claus for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. This petite print, measuring just 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 inches, captures the menace of a shark gliding through American waters, part of a popular series (cataloged as N39) that featured colorful depictions of local fish species. Tucked into cigarette packs as promotional inserts, these cards turned everyday smokers into avid collectors, blending education with commerce. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a breakthrough in commercial printing, allowing vivid, multi-layered colors on a mass scale without the expense of hand-coloring. Allen & Ginter pioneered such series in the 1880s, sparking a craze for trade cards that popularized natural history illustrations among the public. Classified as ephemera—intended as disposable yet enduring—these prints now reside in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, thanks to the Jefferson R. Burdick Collection. Today, this *Shark* exemplifies how Gilded Age marketing fueled public fascination with American wildlife, transforming a predator of the deep into a pocket-sized icon of curiosity and craftsmanship.

About the Artist

Lindner, Eddy & Claus|Allen & Ginter (American|American) · | – |

American, Richmond, Virginia|American, New York