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 and Prints department, where we showcase fascinating ephemera likeHappy New Year* from the Years 1890 series (N227), issued by the Kinney Tobacco Company in 1889–90 This petite commercial color lithograph, just 1 1/2 × 2 3/4 inches, captures the festive spirit of the Gilded Age with a vibrant New Year's greeting, likely featuring dynamic railway or train imagery—a nod to America's booming rail expansion that connected communities and symbolized progress. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a revolutionary printing technique of the era, allowing mass production of vivid, multi-color images at low cost. Tobacco companies like Kinney Bros. pioneered these collectible cards as promotional inserts in cigarette packs, turning everyday advertising into a cultural phenomenon. Part of popular "N-numbered" series cataloged by collectors, this card reflects how commerce intertwined with holidays, blending holiday cheer with emerging consumer culture. Today, preserved in The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, it offers a window into late 19th-century life—where tiny prints sparked joy and collecting fervor among all ages. A delightful reminder of how art permeated daily rituals!

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...