Ruth Stetson, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 5/8 × 1 3/8 in. (6.6 × 3.5 cm)
Classification
Ephemera|Photographs
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
63.350.216.203.319
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of late 19th-century advertising with *Ruth Stetson, the Actresses series (203)*, a diminutive commercial color lithograph by William S. Kimball & Company in 1889. This tiny gem, measuring just 2 5/8 × 1 3/8 inches, captures the allure of Ruth Stetson, a celebrated actress the era, in a format designed for mass appeal. Issued as part of a popular series, it exemplifies ephemera—those everyday printed items that offer a window into daily life and consumer culture. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a revolutionary printing technique that allowed for vivid, mult...
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...