Torquata, from Birds of the Tropics series (N38) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Torquata, from of the Tropics seriesN38)*, a charming commercial color lithograph produced in 1889 by Allen & Ginter in collaboration with George S. & Sons. This petite card, measuring just 2 7/8 x 3 1/4 inches, was one of 50 in a popular series inserted into cigarette packs, transforming everyday tobacco products into collectible treasures. Featuring the exotic Torquata bird amid lush tropical foliage, it captures the era's fascination with natural history and distant lands, appealing to smokers and enthusiasts alike. Chromolithography, the innovative color printing technique used here, allowed for vivid, multi-layered hues on a mass scale—up to 30 stones per image—making high-quality illustrations affordable and widespread. Allen & Ginter, pioneers of the cigarette card craze starting in the 1880s, boosted brand loyalty while educating the public on ornith. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, ephemera exemplifies how commerce intertwined with art, preserving fleeting glimpses of biodiversity for posterity. Today, these cards highlight the cultural role of trade cards in popularizing science and beauty, bridging Victorian curiosity with modern collecting. A tiny portal to the tropics! (198 words)

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...