Carrie Tanner, from the Actresses series (N190) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
Medium
Commercial lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 1/2 × 1 5/16 in. (6.3 × 3.3 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
63.350.216.190.15
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the glittering world of late 19th-century American theater with *Carrie Tanner, from the Actresses series (N190)*, a charming commercial lithograph produced by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. in 1889. This tiny portrait (just 2 1/2 × 1 5/16 inches) captures the poised elegance of actress Carrie Tanner, one of many celebrated performers immortalized in this series. Issued as promotional ephemera—likely tucked into cigarette packs—these cards were collectibles that fueled a craze among enthusiasts, blending celebrity culture with everyday commerce during the Gilded Age. Lithography, the medium h...
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...