French Shepherdess Dancer, from the Dancing Women series (N186) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 11/16 × 1 7/16 in. (6.9 × 3.7 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
63.350.216.186.14
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of late 19th-century advertising with *French Shepherdess Dancer*, a charming chromolithograph from the Dancing Women series (N186), issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. in 1889. Produced by the Rochester, New York-based tobacco company, this petite print (just 2 11/16 × 1 7/16 inches) was likely a collectible insert for cigarette packs, part of a popular trend where companies like Kimball distributed beautifully illustrated cards to entice customers and fuel the growing hobby of trading cards. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized commercial printing by all...
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...