Josie Hall, from the Actresses series (N190) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
Medium
Commercial lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 1/2 × 1 5/16 in. (6.3 × 3.3 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
63.350.216.190.10
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of late 19th-century Americana with *Josie Hall, from Actresses series (N190)*, a charming commercial lithograph produced by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. in 1889. This petite portrait (just 2½ × 1⅜ inches) captures the alluring presence of actress Josie Hall, of many celebrated performers featured in this popular tobacco insert series. Issued by the Kimball tobacco company, these cards were tucked into cigarette packages as collectibles, sparking a craze among enthusiasts who traded and albumed them like modern trading cards. Lithography, the medium here, revolutionized ma...
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...