Snow Bunting, from the Birds of America series (N37) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

In the late 19th century, American tobacco companies like Allen & G revolutionized marketing by inserting colorful trading cards cigarette packs, sparking a collecting craze among all ages. This vivid chromolithograph of a *Snow Bunting* (Plectrophenax nivalis), from the 1888 *Birds of America* series (37), exemplifies that innovation. Measuring just 2⅞ × 3¼ inches, these pocket-sized gems were designed for easy collection and trade, featuring meticulously rendered birds against natural backdrops to appeal to nature enthusiasts and budding ornithologists. Produced via commercial color lithography—a technique perfected in the 1880s for mass reproduction— the card boasts striking hues that capture the Snow Bunting's snowy plumage and delicate markings with surprising realism. Allen & Ginter's series drew inspiration from the era's fascination with natural history, echoing John James Audubon's iconic work while making avian beauty accessible to everyday consumers. Today, preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this ephemera highlights how commerce intertwined with art and science, transforming humble cigarette inserts into treasured artifacts of American print culture.

About the Artist

Allen & Ginter

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...