Yellow Dog, North American Chief, from the Savage and Semi-Barbarous Chiefs and Rulers series (N189) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 11/16 × 1 1/2 in. (6.8 × 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
63.350.216.189.20
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th ephemera with *Yellow Dog, North American*, a tiny yet striking commercial color lithograph from the1888 "Savage Semi-Barbarous Chiefs Rulers" series (189), issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co., a prominent tobacco manufacturer. This portrait card, measuring just 2 11/16 × 1 1/2 inches, captures the likeness of an Indigenous North American leader, reflecting the era's fascination with exoticized "noble savages" and global rulers. Tobacco companies like Kimball distributed these collectible cards inside cigarette packs to boost sales, turning everyday smoking into ...
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...