Devastation, French Navy, from the Naval Vessels of the World series (N226) issued by Kinney Bros.

Art Historical Context

Step into the late 19th-century world of naval might with *Devastation, French*, a vibrant commercial color lithograph from Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company's *Naval Vessels of the* series (N226), issued in 1889. This petite card, measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches, captures the imposing ironclad battleship *Devastation*—a symbol of France's push toward modern naval supremacy amid Europe's escalating arms race. Produced as promotional ephemera, these cards were tucked into tobacco packages, sparking a collecting craze among enthusiasts. Chromolithography, the era's cutting-edge printing technique, allowed for bold colors and intricate details on such a tiny scale, transforming everyday advertising into miniature works of art. Kinney Bros., savvy marketers, leveraged the public's fascination with global navies to boost sales, blending education with allure in this series showcasing ships from around the world. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department as part of The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece highlights the cultural role of trade cards in democratizing art and history. Once discarded, these ephemera now offer a window into Victorian-era imperialism and technological innovation, reminding us how everyday objects fueled dreams of exploration and power.

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...