Italian 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
63.350.216.186.28
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of late 19th-century advertising with *Italian Dancer* from the *Dancing* series (N186), charming chromolithograph produced by Wm. S. & Co. in 1889. This petite print, measuring just 2 11/16 × 1 7/16 inches, captures a graceful female figure in mid-performance, embodying the exotic allure of Italian dance traditions. Issued as collectible ephemera— tucked into cigarette packages—these cards were a clever marketing ploy by the tobacco company, blending artistry with commerce during America's Gilded Age. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a breakthrough in color...
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...