Kherson, from the Dancing Girls of the World series (N185) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Kherson*, a charming commercial color lithograph from theDancing Girls of the* series (N185), issued by Wm. S Kimball & Co. in1889. This tiny print, measuring just 2 11/16 × 1 1/2 inches, depicts a dancer from Kherson—likely evoking the exotic allure of Europe during the Russian Empire era. Produced as a collectible premium for Kimball's tobacco products, it captures the era's fascination with global cultures through graceful female figures in motion. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized commercial printing by enabling vivid, multi-layered colors on a mass scale, making luxury-like imagery accessible. As ephemera, these cards were everyday giveaways, yet their intricate details and international themes reflect the Gilded Age's blend of commerce and curiosity about "dancing girls" from afar. Kherson's portrayal taps into orientalist trends, romanticizing dance as a window to distant lands. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department from the Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this card highlights how everyday objects became art. Collectors cherish it for its snapshot of consumer culture, reminding us how small prints fueled global imaginations over a century ago.

About the Artist

William S. Kimball & 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...