Miss Thorp, 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
63.350.216.203.327
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Miss Thorp, from Actresses series (N)*, a petite commercial color lithograph produced Wm. S. Kimball Co. in 1889. This charming 2 5/8 × 1 3/8 in. card captures the poised portrait of actress Miss Thorp, one many celebrated performers featured in the series. Issued by the tobacco company, these cards were tucked into cigarette packages as collectible incentives, transforming everyday purchases into a gateway for fans to amass albums of glamorous stage stars. Chromolithography, the innovative printing technique used here, allowed for...
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...