France, from the National Flags series (N195) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 4 1/4 × 2 9/16 in. (10.8 × 6.5 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
63.350.216.195.7
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of late 19th-century ephemera with *France, from the National Flags seriesN195)*, a charming commercial color lithograph produced by William S. Kimball & Company 1891. This print (just 4¼ × 2⅜ inches) depicts the French tricolor flag, part of a popular series issued as promotional inserts in Kimball's tobacco products. During this era of burgeoning nationalism and international exhibitions like the 1889 Paris World's Fair, such cards sparked a collecting frenzy, educating smokers and enthusiasts alike on global symbols of pride. Crafted via chromolithography—a revo...
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...