Bear Coat, North American Chief, from the Savage and Semi-Barbarous Chiefs and Rulers series (N189) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 11/16 × 1 1/2 in. (6.8 × 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
63.350.216.189.8
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th ephemera with *Bear Coat, North American Chief*, a colorful lithograph from the *Savage and Semi-Barous Chiefs and Rulers series (N189), issued by Wm. S Kimball & Co. in 1888. This card, measuring just 2 11/16 × 1 1/2 inches, captures a portrait of the Native American leader in vivid detail, reflecting the era's fascination with indigenous figures as exotic "chiefs and rulers." Produced as a promotional insert for Kimball's tobacco products, it exemplifies how commercial art bridged everyday consumer goods with global curiosity. Chromolithography, the mediu...
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...