Roumania, from the Dancing Girls of the World series (N185) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 11/16 × 1 1/2 in. (6.8 × 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
63.350.216.185.41
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century ephemera with *Roumania, from the Dancing Girls of the World seriesN185)*, a delightful commercial color lithograph produced in 1889 by William. Kimball & Company, a prominent American tobacco firm. This petite print, measuring just 2 11/16 × 1 1/2 inches, was likely issued as a collectible insert in cigarette packages, part of a popular series showcasing women in traditional dances from around the globe. The focus on a Romanian dancer captures the era's fascination with exotic cultures, blending entertainment with subtle promotion. Chromolithograph...
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...