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
63.350.216.195.28
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century ephemera with *France, from the National Flags seriesN195)*, a petite commercial color lithograph produced William S. Kimball & in 1891. Measuring just 4 1/4 × 2 9/16 inches, this charming print captures the French tricolor flag in bold blues, whites, and reds, emblematic of national pride during an era of global exhibitions and imperial expansion. Issued as part of a collectible series, it reflects the booming trade card culture, where tobacco companies like Kimball—a Rochester, New York, cigarette manufacturer—distributed these inserts to entice sm...
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...