The Lily, from the Magic Changing Cards series (N223) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company
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, N223.46
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th advertising with *The Lily*, a charming commercial color lithograph from theney Brothers Tobacco Company's Magic Changing Cards series (N), issued in 1889. These petite cards, measuring just 2 3/4 × 1 1/2 inches, were tucked into cigarette packs as promotional incentives, transforming everyday tobacco purchases into collectible treasures. Featuring elegant motifs of women and lilies—symbols of purity and beauty in Victorian culture—the card exemplifies the era's blend of commerce and artistry. Produced via chromolithography, a revolutionary printing techniq...
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...