Miss Devaux, 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
Photographs|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
63.350.216.203.14
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, American tobacco companies like Wm.. Kimball & Co. collectible trade cards to boost sales and engage customers. "Miss Devaux, from the Actresses series (N)," issued in 1889, this trend. This petite commercial color lithograph (just 2 5/8 × 1 3/8 inches) features a portrait of the actress Miss Devaux, capturing the era's fascination with theater stars. Inserted into cigarette packages, these cards turned everyday purchases into treasures for collectors, blending commerce with celebrity culture. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a breakthrough in mass printing, a...
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...