Ten of Hearts, A Reel, from Harlequin Cards, 2nd Series (N220) 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, N220.25
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of late 19th-century American ephemera with *Ten of Hearts, A*, from the *Harlequin Cards, 2 Series (N220)*, issued by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company in 9. These diminutive commercial color lithographs—measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches—were tucked into tobacco packages as collectible inserts, transforming everyday cigarettes into treasures for enthusiasts. Kinney Bros., a prominent tobacco firm, produced dozens of such series to boost brand loyalty, blending playing card motifs with whimsical harlequin themes inspired by commedia dell'arte figures, dance, and fanta...
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...