Edward Hanlan, Champion Sculler of America, from the Champions of Games and Sports series (N184, Type 1) issued by W.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
63.350.216.184.23
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th American sports culture with this petite commercial color lithograph,Edward Hanlan, Championuller of America*, from W.S. Kimball & Cos *Champions of Games and* series (N184, Type 1), produced in 1887. At just 2 11/16 × 1 1/2 inches, this ephemera captures the dashing figure of Edward Hanlan, legendary Canadian-American rower who dominated sculling competitions as world champion. Issued by the tobacco company Kimball, these cards were tucked into cigarette packages as clever marketing ploys, turning everyday smokers into collectors of athletic icons. Chromol...
About the Artist
W.S. Kimball & Co.
William S. Kimball & Co. was a tobacco manufacturer based in Rochester, New York, whose influence extended well beyond the cigarette trade into the realm of popular visual culture. Founded in 1846 by William S. Kimball and James C. Hart, the company grew into one of the largest tobacco concerns in the United States, erecting a landmark factory along the Erie Canal on Court Street in 1880. The buil...