Lillian Russell, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 5/8 × 1 3/8 in. (6.6 × 3.5 cm)
Classification
Ephemera|Photographs
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
63.350.216.203.293
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the glittering world of Gilded Age theater with this petite chromolithograph of Lillian Russell, a luminous star from the Actresses series (N203 issued by Wm. S Kimball & Co. in1889. Measuring just 2⅝ × 1⅜ inches, this commercial color lithograph captures Russell's iconic profile, her elegant features rendered in vibrant hues typical of late-19th-century printing techniques. Produced as a promotional insert for Kimball's tobacco products, it exemplifies the era's trade cards—small, collectible ephemera that turned everyday purchases into treasures. Lillian Russell, often called the ...
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...