American Indian Dancer, from the Dancing Women series (N186) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 11/16 × 1 7/16 in. (6.9 × 3.7 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick
Accession Number
63.350.216.186.44
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *American Indian Dancer* from the *Dancing* series (N186), petite commercial color lithograph produced by Wm. S. & Co. in 1889. Issued by the Rochester-based tobacco company, this 2 11/16 ×1 7/16-inch card was part of a popular set of collectible trade cards distributed with cigarettes, capturing the exotic allure of dancers from various cultures. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick, it exemplifies the ephemera that turned everyday purchases into treasures for collectors. Chromolithography, the medium her...
About the Artist
William S. Kimball & Company
**William S. Kimball & Company**, a pioneering American tobacco manufacturer, was established in 1846 in Rochester, New York, by William S. Kimball and James C. Hart. The firm quickly grew into one of the city's largest employers, particularly of women, producing popular brands like Peerless chewing tobacco, Rigatta and Fireside smoking tobacco, and Vanity Fair cigarettes. Under Kimball's leadersh...