Master Ray Perry, Champion Boy Boxer of America, 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
63.350.216.184.69
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century American sports culture with *Master Ray Perry, Champion Boy Boxer of America a colorful gem from W.S. Kimball & Cos *Champions of Games and Sports* series (N184, Type 2), produced in 1887. This petite commercial color lithograph, measuring just 2 /16 × 1 1/2 inches, the pint-sized pugilist in dynamic pose, gloves raised and determination etched on his young face. Issued by the Kimball tobacco company, it served as promotional ephemera—likely tucked into cigarette packs to entice collectors and promote the brand amid the booming trade card craze. Ch...
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...