Swiss Dancer, from the Dancing Women series (N186) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 11/16 × 1 7/16 in. (6.9 × 3.7 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
63.350.216.186.36
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of late 19th-century advertising with *Swiss Dancer*, a charming chromolithograph from the *Dancing Women* seriesN186), produced by Wm. S. & Co. in 1889. This petite print, measuring just 2 11/16 × 1 7/16 inches, captures a graceful female figure in traditional Swiss attire, mid-twirl with skirts flaring and arms elegantly raised. Issued as collectible ephemera—likely a trade card or insert for Kimball's cigars—it reflects the era's fascination with exotic dances and folk costumes, blending cultural curiosity with commercial appeal. Chromolithography, the medium he...
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...