Monocle and Eye (brown), from Jocular Ocular series (N221) issued by Kinney Bros.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 1 1/2 × 1 1/2 in. (3.8 × 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
Burdick 218, N221.12
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming 1889 commercial color lithograph, titled *Monocle and Eye (brown)*, comes from the “Jocular Ocular” series (N221) issued by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. Measuring just 1½ inches square, the tiny print was originally distributed as a collectible insert in cigarette packs, a popular marketing tactic of the era. The image plays on the series’ punning title, presenting a whimsical close-up of an eye wearing a monocle rendered in warm brown tones. Kinney Brothers was among the leading American tobacco firms to use brightly colored lithographs to encourage brand loyalty. These...
About the Artist
Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company · 1869–2011
**Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company (1869–2011)** Founded around 1869 by Francis Sherwood Kinney in New York City, the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company quickly rose to prominence in the burgeoning American cigarette industry. Francis, a pioneering tobacco manufacturer, experimented with hand-rolled cigarettes using blends of Turkish and Virginia tobacco, scaling to mass production by employing Europ...