Juno, Queen of all Goddesses, from the Goddesses of the Greeks and Romans series (N188) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Juno, Queen of Goddesses*, a diminutive gem from the 1889 *Goddesses of the Greeks and Romans* (N188), issued by the Wm. S. Kimball & Co. tobacco company. Produced as a commercial color lithograph the skilled printers at Ketterlinus Lithography Company, this tiny card—measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches—was likely tucked into cigarette packages as a collectible insert. It captures Juno, the Roman queen of the gods (equivalent to Greek Hera), in regal splendor, embodying power and majesty from classical mythology. Chromolithography, the era's breakthrough technique, allowed for vivid, multi-layered colors printed in mass quantities, making fine art accessible to everyday Americans. This ephemera reflects the Gilded Age's fascination with antiquity, blending education and promotion to entice collectors amid booming tobacco trade card culture. Such series popularized Greco-Roman lore, turning mythology into pocket-sized treasures. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department as part of The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a landmark gift of over 30,000 ephemera—this card highlights how commerce fueled artistic innovation and cultural exchange. A delightful reminder that even the smallest prints carry the weight of history!

About the Artist

William S. Kimball & Company|Ketterlinus Lithography Company · 1850–1950

**William S. Kimball & Company**, a pioneering American tobacco manufacturer, was established in 1846 in Rochester, New York, by William S. Kimball and James C. Hart. The firm quickly grew into one of the city's largest employers, particularly of women, producing popular brands like Peerless chewing tobacco, Rigatta and Fireside smoking tobacco, and Vanity Fair cigarettes. Under Kimball's leadersh...