Oswald Ottendorfer, New Yorker Staats-Zeitung, from the American Editors series (N35) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1887

This 1887 chromolithograph card is part of the “American Editors” series produced by Allen & Ginter for their brand of cigarettes. The card features a portrait of Oswald Ottendorfer, the editor of the German-language New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung, set against a backdrop of the newspaper’s building in New York City. The card showcases the importance of the newspaper in the 19th century and its impact on the German immigrant community. The card is an example of trade cards, which were used for advertising and collecting. The card, currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, captures a moment in American history and illustrates the social and cultural dynamics of 19th-century New York.