Arvita, from the Ballet Queens series (N182) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.

Art Historical Context

Step into the glittering world of 19th-century ballet with *Arvita, from the Ballet Queens series (N)*, a charming commercial color lithograph produced by William S. Kimball & Company 1889. This card (just 2 3/4 × 1 1/2 inches) captures the grace of its titular dancer, Arvita, amid a vogue for glamorous performers that captivated American audiences during the Gilded Age. Issued by the tobacco firm Wm. S. Kimball & Co., it belongs to a popular series of collectible trade cards distributed with cigarette packs, turning everyday purchases into treasures for enthusiasts. Chromolithography, the innovative printing technique here, revolutionized mass-produced imagery by layering vibrant colors with stunning precision, making high-quality art accessible to the public. As ephemera from the Jefferson R. Burdick Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, this piece exemplifies how commercial printing bridged fine art and advertising, immortalizing ballet stars like Arvita in vivid detail. These cards fueled a collecting craze, reflecting ballet's rising cultural allure in the U.S. and the era's adoration of female dancers as icons of elegance and exoticism. A delightful snapshot of Victorian pop culture!

About the Artist

William S. Kimball & Company · 1850–1950

**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...