Happy New Year, 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 showcase intriguing ephemera like *Happy New Year* from the New Years 0 series (N227), issued by the Kinney Tobacco Company in 1889–90. This commercial color lithograph, measuring just 1 1/2 × 2 3/4 inches, was likely a collectible insert tucked into cigarette packs—a clever marketing tactic by late 19th-century tobacco to build brand loyalty among smokers and enthusiasts alike. Crafted via chromolithography, a pioneering technique for vibrant, mass-produced color printing, the card captures a festive still life of musical instruments, evoking the joyful clamor of New Year's celebrations. These small-scale designs highlight the artistry of commercial printing, blending everyday advertising with decorative appeal and transforming mundane tobacco products into coveted keepsakes. Part of The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece offers a window into Gilded Age consumer culture, where ephemera like trading cards fueled a burgeoning collecting craze. Imagine families eagerly trading these cheerful tokens at the dawn of 1890— a delightful snapshot of holiday merriment preserved in print.

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...