Egg Dance, from National Dances (N225, Type 1) issued by Kinney Bros.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (7 × 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
Burdick 218, N225.12
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the lively world of 19th-century American ephemera with *Egg Dance*, a charming commercial color lithograph from the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company'sNational Dances" seriesN225, Type 1), issued in 1889. These petite cards, measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches, were tucked into tobacco packages as collectible premiums, sparking a craze among enthusiasts. Produced during the height of chromolithography's popularity, the vibrant printing technique allowed for mass reproduction of eye-catching, multicolored scenes that brought folk traditions to everyday audiences. The artwork captures the wh...
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...