Greek Waltz, 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, N225.24
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Greek Waltz, from National Dances (225, Type 1)** Issued by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company in 9, this petite commercial color lithograph is charming example of late 19th-century advertising ephemera. Tobacco companies like Kinney Bros popularized collectible insert cards in cigarette packs, turning everyday purchases into treasures for enthusiasts. Part of the "National D" series (cataloged as N225, Type 1), it captures the era's fascination with global folk traditions, blending exotic allure with American consumer culture. The vivid chromolithography technique—printing in multiple c...
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...