King of Chumbiri, Africa, from the Savage and Semi-Barbarous Chiefs and Rulers series (N189) 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
63.350.216.189.39
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of 19th-century with *King of Chumbiri,*, a vibrant commercial color lithograph from theSavage and Semi-Barous Chiefs and Rulers series (N189), issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. in1888. Produced by S. Kimball & Company this tiny portrait—measuring just 2 /16 × 1 1/2 inches—was designed as an ephemera insert for tobacco products, captivating smokers with exotic imagery of global leaders. Chromolithography, the era's cutting-edge printing technique, brought bold colors and intricate details to these mass-produced cards, making high-quality art accessible to everyday collectors....
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...