Lisbets DeBoreff, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.

Art Historical Context

Step into the glittering world of late 19th-century theater with *Lisbets DeBoreff, from the Act series (N203)*, a charming commercial color lithograph produced William S. Kimball & in 1889. This petite portrait (just 2 5/8 × 1 3/8 inches) captures the allure of a popular actress, embodying the era's obsession with stage stars as cultural icons. Kimball, a Rochester-based tobacco firm, issued these cards as promotional inserts in cigarette packages, sparking a collecting craze among Victorians who traded them like modern trading cards. Crafted via chromolithography—a cutting-edge technique that layered vibrant colors through multiple stone printing plates—this ephemera transformed photographic portraits into accessible, mass-produced art. Its vivid hues and intimate scale highlight the democratization of celebrity imagery, bridging fine art and everyday commerce. Actresses like DeBoreff symbolized glamour and independence, reflecting women's rising visibility in entertainment amid social change. Preserved in The Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this tiny gem from the and Prints department reminds us how fleeting promotions became enduring cultural artifacts, offering a window into Gilded Age fandom and advertising ingenuity.

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...