U.S. Sloop Alert, from the Naval Vessels of the World series (N226) issued by Kinney Bros.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 1 1/2 × 2 3/4 in. (3.8 × 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
Burdick 218, N226.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of th-century collecting with *U.S. Sloop Alert*, a vibrant commercial color lithograph the *Naval Vessels of the World* series (N226), issued by the Kinney Tobacco Company in 188. These diminutive prints—measuring just 1 1/2 × 2 3/4 inches—were tucked into cigarette packs as promotional inserts, sparking a craze for trading cards among enthusiasts. Produced via chromolithography, a technique layered vibrant colors through multiple stone-printing plates, they captured the majesty of global warships with remarkable detail and economy. This card spotlights the U.S. Sloop *Al...
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...