Naval Standard, Great Britain, from the National Flags series (N195) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 3 9/16 × 2 3/8 in. (9 × 6.1 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
63.350.216.195.11
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century ephemera with this petite *Naval Standard, Great Britain*, a commercial color lithograph from the National Flags series (N195), issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. in 1891. Produced as collectible inserts for tobacco products, this tiny card (just 3 9/16 × 2 3/8 inches when trimmed) proudly displays Britain's naval ensign, adorned with iconic symbols like the lion for England, the harp for Ireland, and bold flags evoking imperial might. During the height of the British Empire, such cards fueled patriotic fervor and educated smokers on global heraldry, tur...
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...