Chinese, Lady of Pekin, from Types of Nationalities (N240) issued by Kinney Bros.

Art Historical Context

In the late 19th century, American tobacco companies like Kinney transformed cigarette packs into treasure troves of collectible art with series like *Types of Nationalities (N240)*, issued around 1890. This commercial color lithograph, *Chinese, Lady of Pek*, is one such card, measuring a petite 6 7/8 × 1 7/16 inches when unfolded. Produced as promotional inserts, these ephemera captured global ethnic diversity—or Western interpretations of it—appealing to collectors during the Gilded Age boom in consumer culture. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a breakthrough technique allowing vivid, multi-color prints at scale, making high-quality illustrations affordable for mass distribution. Kinney Brothers, not traditional artists but savvy marketers, commissioned these to boost brand loyalty, turning smokers into avid hobbyists. The depiction of a "Lady of Pekin" (Peking, now Beijing) reflects the era's fascination with exotic "types," often blending admiration with stereotype, and highlights women's roles in such visual narratives. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a landmark gift of over 30,000 cards—this tiny print offers a window into advertising's artistic evolution and cross-cultural curiosity. A delightful glimpse of history in your pocket! (198 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...