At the Circus, from the Magic Changing Cards series (N223) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (7 × 3.8 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
Burdick 218, N223.49
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step right up to the vibrant world of 19th-century American ephemera with *At the Circus*, a charming commercial color lithograph from the Magic Changing series (N223), issued by the Kinney Tobacco Company in 188. Measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches, this pocket-sized print captures the whimsical allure of circus life, featuring profiles of clowns in a playful, theatrical scene. Produced as inserts in tobacco products, these cards were collectibles designed to boost brand loyalty amid fierce competition in the cigarette market. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized commercial printing ...
About the Artist
Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company · 1869–2011
**Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company (1869–2011)** Founded around 1869 by Francis Sherwood Kinney in New York City, the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company quickly rose to prominence in the burgeoning American cigarette industry. Francis, a pioneering tobacco manufacturer, experimented with hand-rolled cigarettes using blends of Turkish and Virginia tobacco, scaling to mass production by employing Europ...