New York, from the City Flags series (N6) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1887

This small lithograph, “New York, from the City Flags series”, was made by Allen & Ginter for cigarette brands. This was a low cost, high volume medium, made affordable by industrialization. The printing process is key here: the design would have been drawn on a flat stone or metal plate, treated to accept ink in some areas and reject it in others. This allowed for many copies to be made quickly, each a perfect replica. Look closely, and you can see the layered effect of the printing – the subtle shifts in color and the way the ink sits on the surface. The image shows New York's flag with Lady Liberty. What is most striking is the contrast between the ideals represented and the means of production. Cigarettes were mass produced, often using exploited labor. The card itself, though small, speaks volumes about the connections between art, industry, and social values. It blurs the boundaries between commercial ephemera and cultural artifact.