PIPE, CIGAR & MATCHES

Allen & Ginter [Colour Lithography by George S. Harris & Co. of Philadelphia] Allen and Ginter was the Richmond, Virginia, tobacco manufacturing firm formed by John Allen and Lewis Ginter in 1865. The firm created and marketed the first cigarette cards for collecting and trading.

(Book #ID 87030)

Published by Allen & Ginter., Richmond, Virginia 1888. 1888.

9'' x 6'' booklet in the shape of a bird cage, tied at the top through a brass eyelet with the original burgundy silk tassel and titled "Birds of America". There are 10 internal pages plus the front and rear [printed both sides] covers, printed on the rectos only, with 4 to 8 cards reproduced with exotic foreign scenery as a background on each page. The front cover has two birds inside the cage, the back cover has an outline of the cage with a young girl in a red hood standing in a field watching birds fly away; the interior has colourful pages printed on one side of heavy stock paper showing colour lithographs of several tobacco cards in the "Birds of America" series; the first page is an advertisement for the company, listing some of their brands and their location. Allen and Ginter, Manufacturers of High Grade Smoking Tobaccos, Richmond, Virginia. Light crease line across the top of the cage below the eyelet, and in Fine condition. Still in the original, if battered, card envelope which was posted to a Mary Emma Pross, Gardenville, Berks County, Pennsylvania, with Philadelphia franked post mark stamp dated May 31st, 1888 to the front and rear of the envelope. A rare survivor in this condition. Member of the P.B.F.A.

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