Yellow Shank Tatien, from the Game Birds series (N13) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th advertising with *Yellow Shank Tatien*, charming chromolithograph from the Game Birds series (N13), produced in 1889 by George. Harris & Sons for Allen & Ginter cigarette brands. This tiny card, measuring just 1/2 x 3/4 inches, captures the elegant form of the yellow shank tatien—a game bird—with striking color and detail, designed a collectible insert in packs. Tobacco companies like Allen & G revolutionized marketing by including such cards, sparking a collecting craze among adults and fostering early consumer culture. The medium, commercial color lithography, showcases the era's printing innovation: multiple lithographic stones produced vivid hues efficiently for mass distribution. Harris & Sons, skilled Philadelphia lithographers, brought naturalism to these ephemera, blending scientific accuracy with artistic appeal to highlight ornithological beauty amid the Gilded Age's commercial boom. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a treasure trove of American prints and ephemera—this card reminds us of how everyday objects bridged art, nature, and commerce. A delightful glimpse into Victorian hobbies, it invites you to appreciate the artistry in the ephemeral.

About the Artist

George S. Harris & Sons|Allen & Ginter (American|American) · | – |

American, Richmond, Virginia|American, Philadelphia