Lamp, from the Novelties series (N228, Type 5) issued by Kinney Bros.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 7/8 × 1 9/16 in. (7.3 × 4 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, N228.214
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th advertising with this petite *Lamp* from Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company's Novelties series (N228, Type 5), in 1889. Produced as collectible inserts for cigarette packs, these cards captivated smokers and enthusiasts alike, blending everyday motifs like elegant women and ornate lamps with the era's booming tobacco trade. Kinney Bros., a prominent New York firm, flooded the market with such "trade cards," turning promotional ephemera into coveted keepsakes that reflected Victorian fascination with domestic beauty and illumination. Crafted as a commercial col...
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...