King of Diamonds, from Harlequin Cards, 2nd Series (N220) issued by Kinney Bros.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th American advertising with *King of Diamonds* from the *Harlequin, 2nd Series (N220)*, issued the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company in 9. This petite commercial color lithograph, just 2¾ × 1½ inches, mimics a playing card featuring a regal king in harlequin attire, blending the whimsy of commedia dell theater with the everyday thrill of card games. Tobacco companies like Kinney Bros popularized these collectible inserts—tucked into cigarette packs—to boost brand loyalty and spark collecting fever among enthusiasts of all ages. The artwork showcases the era's lithographic prowess, where multiple stone plates layered vivid colors for mass production, making high-quality illustrations affordable and widespread. As ephemera, it captures a cultural snapshot: the fusion of gambling motifs, fantasy costumes, and clever marketing during America's Gilded Age, when trade cards turned ordinary purchases into treasures. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, thanks to the Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this card highlights how everyday objects became art, preserving a playful slice of consumer history.

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...