Marv Beardsley, Champion Long Distance Rider, from the Champions of Games and Sports series (N184, Type 2) issued by W.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
63.350.216.184.67
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of19th-century ephemera with *Marv Beardsley, Champion Long Distance Rider*, colorful gem from the *Champions of Games and Sports series (N184, 2), issued by W.S. Kimball &. in 1887. Produced as a promotional insert for Kimball's tobacco products, this tiny commercial color lithograph—measuring just 2 11/16 × 1 1/2 inches—celebrates the equestrian prowess of Marvardsley, a renowned athlete in long-distance riding competitions. These pocket-sized cards were wildly popular collectibles, enticing smokers and enthusiasts alike to amass sets featuring sports heroes amid ...
About the Artist
W.S. Kimball & Co.
William S. Kimball & Co. was a tobacco manufacturer based in Rochester, New York, whose influence extended well beyond the cigarette trade into the realm of popular visual culture. Founded in 1846 by William S. Kimball and James C. Hart, the company grew into one of the largest tobacco concerns in the United States, erecting a landmark factory along the Erie Canal on Court Street in 1880. The buil...