Italy, from the International Cards series (N238), issued by Kinney Bros.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 1/4 × 2 7/8 in. (8.2 × 7.3 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, N238.12
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Italy* from the International Cards series (N238 issued by the Kinney Tobacco Company in 188. These petite chromolithographs—measuring just 3¼ × 2⅞ inches—were tucked into cigarette packs as collectible premiums, sparking a craze for trading cards among enthusiasts. This card, evoking national pride with imagery of men and flags, Italy amid a wave of international-themed series that fueled consumer excitement and cultural exchange. Crafted via commercial color lithography, a breakthrough technique for affordable, vivid prints, the ...
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...