Artist's paint pallette, from the Novelties series (N228, Type 4) issued by Kinney Bros.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Artist's Paint Palette* from Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company's Novelties series (N, Type 4), a delightful 1889 commercial color lithograph. Measuring just 2½ × 1⅝ inches, this tiny ephemera was tucked into cigarette packs to entice collectors, blending promotion with whimsy. Featuring motifs of women and flowers, evokes the era's fascination with artistic pursuits and feminine grace, perhaps portraying a lady artist amid blooming palettes. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized mass printing by layering colors for vivid, jewel-like results—perfect for affordable trade cards. Kinney Bros., a leading tobacco firm, issued these in series to boost brand loyalty, turning everyday smokes into treasure hunts for novelty designs like palettes symbolizing creativity. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece highlights ephemera's cultural role: disposable yet enduring snapshots of Victorian leisure. It reminds us how commerce fueled public art appreciation, collecting flowers and female figures as timeless charms. (178 words)

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...