Diana, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 5/8 × 1 3/8 in. (6.6 × 3.5 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
63.350.216.203.22
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Diana, from the Actresses seriesN203)*, a diminutive commercial color lithograph by William S. Kimball & Company in 188. Measuring just 2 5/8 × 1 3/8 inches, this tiny gem was designed as a collectible insert, likely tucked into cigarette packs to entice smokers and spark a collecting craze. Chromolithography, the era's breakthrough printing technique, allowed for vivid, multi-layered colors on inexpensive paper, transforming everyday ephemera into eye-catching art. Part of the celebrated Actresses series, this portrait captures th...
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...