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

Art Historical Context

Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, where we showcase fascinating ephemera like *Happy New Year* from the New Years 0 series (N227), issued by the Kinney Tobacco Company in 188–90. This petite commercial color lithograph, just 1 1/2 × 2 3/4 inches, was likely a collectible insert tucked into cigarette packages—a clever marketing tactic by late-19th-century tobacco firms to build brand loyalty and delight customers with seasonal greetings. Chromolithography, the printing technique here, revolutionized commercial art by allowing vibrant, multi-color images to be mass-produced affordably. The sun motif, hinted at in its tags, evokes renewal and optimism for the dawning 1890s, blending festive cheer with subtle advertising. Part of the renowned Jefferson R. Burdick Collection (gifted to the Met), it captures a vibrant era of American consumer culture when everyday items like these became cherished keepsakes. These tiny prints remind us how art infiltrated daily life, turning tobacco tins into treasure troves for collectors and offering a window into Gilded Age holiday traditions. Spot the cheerful sun and imagine families trading them at New Year's gatherings!

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...