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, N225.25
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Greek Waltz*, a charming chromolithograph from the *National Dances* seriesN225, Type ), issued by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company in1889. This petite print, measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches, captures two men mid-dance in flowing traditional attire, evoking the exotic allure of Greek folk traditions reimagined through a waltz—a European ballroom staple. Produced as an insert for cigarette packs, it exemplifies the era's ephemera: collectible trading cards that turned everyday tobacco purchases into a treasure hunt for enthusiasts. ...
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...