Gabrielle, from the Ballet Queens series (N182) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
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
63.350.216.182.31
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the enchanting world of late 19th-century advertising with *Gabrielle, from the Ballet Queens series (N)*, a diminutive gem produced by Wm. S. & Co. in 1889. This commercial color lithograph, measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches, captures the poised elegance of a ballerina, emblematic of the era's fascination with ballet stars. Issued as collectible trade cards by the tobacco company—likely tucked into cigarette packs—these ephemera prints turned everyday commerce into pocket-sized portraits, blending portraiture, dance, and hints of musical instruments to evoke the glamour of the performin...
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...