Silver-Spangled Polish, from the Prize and Game Chickens series (N20) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th ephemera with *Silver-Spangled Polish*, gem from Allen & Ginter's *Prize and Game Chickens series (N20), in 1891. These tiny commercial color lithographs, measuring just 1 1/2 x 2 3/4 inches, were tucked into cigarette packs as collectible inserts—a clever marketing ploy by the tobacco company to boost sales and foster a booming hobby among enthusiasts. Produced by The Gast Lithograph Engraving Company, this card showcases the striking Silver-Spangled Polish chicken, a fancy breed prized for its silvery plumage and elaborate crest, reflecting the era's fascination with ornamental poultry breeding. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a groundbreaking technique that allowed for vivid, multi-color prints at scale, transforming everyday advertising into accessible art. Allen & Ginter pioneered such series in the 1880s, covering birds, athletes, and more, making high-quality illustrations affordable and sparking a collecting craze that anticipated modern trading cards. Today, this piece resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, a treasure trove of printed Americana gifted in 1948. It captures not just a bird, but a slice of Gilded Age culture—where leisure, commerce, and natural history intersected in your pocket. (198 words)

About the Artist

Allen & Ginter|The Gast Lithograph & Engraving Company

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...