Mme Real, 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
63.350.216.203.268
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of late 19th-century advertising with *Mme Real, from the Actresses series (N203)*, a charming commercial color lithograph produced by William S. Kimball & Company in 1889. This petite portrait (just 2 5/8 × 1 3/8 inches) captures the elegance of French actress Mme Real, one of many celebrated performers featured in Kimball's popular series. As a tobacco company, Kimball issued these cards as promotional inserts in cigarette packs, turning everyday smokers into collectors of glamorous celebrity likenesses. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a revolutionary pri...
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...