Mlle. Pitot, 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
63.350.216.203.435
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, companies like William S. Kimball & Co. revolutionized advertising by inserting collectible chromolithograph cards into cigarette. This petite portrait, *Mlle. Pitot, from the Actresses seriesN203)* (1889), exemplifies the trend. Measuring just 2 5/8 × 1 3/8 inches, it captures the glamorous French actress Mlle. Pit—likely posed with a firearm for dramatic flair—in vivid commercial color lithography. This technique, using multiple lithographic stones for layered hues, made affordable, eye-catching reproductions possible, turning everyday ephemera into coveted keepsake...
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...