Greek Waltz, from National Dances (N225, Type 1) issued by Kinney Bros.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Greek Waltz*, a charming chromolithograph from the *National Dances* seriesN225, Type ), issued by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company in1889. This petite print, measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches, captures two men mid-dance in flowing traditional attire, evoking the exotic allure of Greek folk traditions reimagined through a waltz—a European ballroom staple. Produced as an insert for cigarette packs, it exemplifies the era's ephemera: collectible trading cards that turned everyday tobacco purchases into a treasure hunt for enthusiasts. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized commercial printing with its vivid, multi-layered colors applied by hand on stone plates, allowing mass production of eye-catching art at low cost. Kinney Bros., a prominent American tobacco firm, leveraged this technique to promote their brands, blending cultural motifs with national pride in the *National Dances* series. These cards fueled a collecting craze, especially among children, and offer a window into late Victorian fascination with global customs amid America's Gilded Age industrialization. Today, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, *Greek Waltz* highlights how commerce intersected with art and culture, preserving fleeting moments of joy and movement for posterity. A delightful snapshot of history in your pocket!

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...