Polish Mazurka, from National Dances (N225, Type 1) issued by Kinney Bros.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (7 × 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, N225.64
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century American advertising with *Polish Mazurka, from National Dances (225, Type 1)*, a charming commercial color lithograph produced by the Kinney Brothers Company in 1889 This tiny gem, measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches, was likely issued as a collectible insert in cigarette packs, part of a popular series celebrating folk dances from around the world. These ephemera cards captivated collectors, blending commerce with cultural curiosity during the Gilded Age, when tobacco companies used eye-catching imagery to build brand loyalty. The artwork depicts men in...
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...