Belle Urquhart, from the Actresses series (N246), Type 2, issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sporting Extra Cigarettes
ca. 1890
Medium
Albumen photograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 1/16 × 2 7/8 in. (7.7 × 7.3 cm)
Classification
Photographs|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
63.350.220.246.91
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the glamorous world of 1890s theater with *Belle Urquhart, from the Actresses series (N246), Type 2*, a charming albumen photograph issued by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. This petite portrait (just 3 1/16 × 2 7/8 inches) captures the poised elegance of actress Belle Urquhart, one of many celebrated performers featured in this promotional series for Sporting Extra Cigarettes. Produced around 1890, these cards were tucked into cigarette packs, transforming everyday tobacco purchases into collectible treasures that fueled a burgeoning hobby among enthusiasts. Albumen prints, ma...
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...