Happy New Year 1890, from the New Years 1890 series (N227) issued by Kinney Bros.

Art Historical Context

Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of's Drawings and Prints department, where we showcase intriguing ephemera like *Happy New Year 189* from the New Years 0 series (N227). Issued by the Kinney Tobacco Company in 188–90, this tiny commercial color lithograph—measuring just 1 1/2 × 2 3/4 inches—was likely a collectible insert from cigarette packs, blending festive New Year's greetings with playful imagery of girls and food. Part of a popular series, it captures the vibrant advertising culture of late 19th-century America, when tobacco companies lured collectors with colorful cards to boost brand loyalty. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a breakthrough technique allowing mass production of vivid, multi-colored prints from stone plates, making high-quality illustrations affordable and widespread. This card's charming tags—evoking girls amid festive foods—reflect Victorian-era whimsy, perhaps symbolizing abundance and joy for the coming year. As ephemera, it highlights how everyday commerce fueled artistic innovation. Generously gifted through The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece invites us to appreciate the overlooked artistry in advertising history. Next time you spot a similar relic, remember: even the smallest prints tell big stories of culture and commerce!

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...