Irish Jig, from National Dances (N225, Type 1) issued by Kinney Bros.

Art Historical Context

Step into the lively world of 19th-century American advertising with *Irish Jig, from Dances (N225, Type 1)*, a vibrant commercial color lithograph issued by theney Brothers Tobacco Company in1889. This petite card, measuring just 2 3/4 × 1 1/2 inches, captures male dancers in profile mid-step, their energetic poses evoking the spirited footwork of the traditional Irish jig. Produced as part of a popular series celebrating folk dances from around the world, it exemplifiesolithography—a revolutionary printing using multiple lithographic stones to layer vivid colors affordably for mass production. These cards were premium inserts tucked into cigarette packs, sparking a collecting craze among Americans of all ages. Kinney Brothers, a New York-based firm, leveraged such eye-catching ephemera to boost brand loyalty in the competitive tobacco trade. Today, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, it highlights how commerce intertwined with culture, preserving snapshots of immigrant traditions like the Irish jig—a lively céilí dance symbolizing joy and resilience. Though small, this print's artistic significance lies in its bold lines and saturated hues, bridging fine art printing with everyday delight. A window into Gilded Age nostalgia!

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...