Portrait of woman, from the Novelties series (N228, Type 2) issued by Kinney Bros.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet (Round): 1 9/16 × 1 9/16 in. (4 × 4 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, N228.62
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming *Portrait of Woman* from Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company's Novelties series (228, Type 2), produced in 1889, the vibrant world of late 19th American advertising ephemera. At just 1 9/16 inches in, this round commercial color lithograph was likely tucked into cigarette packages as a collectible insert, enticing smokers—especially young men—with its petite allure. Kinney Bros., a prominent tobacco firm, issued dozens of such series to boost brand loyalty, turning everyday products into treasure hunts for enthusiasts. Crafted via chromolithography—a revolutionary printing technique...
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...