Indochina, from the Dancing Girls of the World series (N185) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 11/16 × 1 1/2 in. (6.8 × 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
63.350.216.185.28
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Indochina, from Dancing Girls of the World (N185)*, a charming commercial color lithograph produced by William S. Kimball & Company 1889. Issued as part of a popular collectible series by the American tobacco firm, this petite card (just 2 11/16 × 1 1/2 inches) likely served as a promotional insert in cigarette packages, enticing collectors with exotic depictions of dancers from around the globe. Here, a graceful figure from Indochina—representing regions now encompassing Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia—embodies the era's fascination wi...
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...