Lantern, from the Novelties series (N228, Type 4) issued by Kinney Bros.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Lantern, from the Novelties seriesN228, Type 4)*, a diminutive gem produced by the Kinney Brothers Company in 1889 This commercial color lithograph, measuring just 2 7/8 × 1 7/16 inches, captures the charm of everyday objects—here, a lantern, likely paired with a graceful female figure, as suggested by its tags. Issued as inserts in cigarette packages, these ephemera cards were clever tools, enticing collectors while promoting tobacco products during America's Gilded Age boom in consumer culture. The artistry shines through chromolithography, a pioneering technique that allowed for bold, multi-hued prints at scale, transforming humble trade cards into miniature artworks. Kinney Bros., a leading tobacco firm, popularized such series, blending whimsy with novelty to appeal to a broad audience. This piece exemplifies the era's fusion of commerce and collecting, where small prints sparked a nationwide hobby akin to modern trading cards. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, it forms part of The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, a landmark gift that preserves thousands of these cultural artifacts. A tiny window into Victorian leisure and ingenuity, it reminds us how everyday promotions once lit up imaginations.

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...