Louis George, Champion Six Days Roller Skater, from the Champions of Games and Sports series (N184, Type 2) issued by W.S. Kimball & Co.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 1880s Americana with *Louis George, Champion Six Roller Skater*, a colorful gem from the *Champions Games and Sports* seriesN184, Type 2), issued by W.S. & Co. This petite color lithograph, measuring just 2 /16 × 1 1/2 inches, the dashing athlete in action, embodying the era's fascination with endurance sports. Six-day roller skating races were grueling spectacles, drawing massive crowds to velodromes where skaters pushed human limits for glory—and here, Louis George reigns as champion. Produced via chromolithography, a revolutionary printing technique that allowed vivid, mass-market color reproduction, this ephemera print doubled as tobacco promotion. Kimball, a leading cigarette maker, distributed these cards to entice collectors, blending advertising savvy with celebrity worship. It reflects Gilded Age obsessions: sports heroism, masculinity, and consumer culture, when athletes like George became household names. Today, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this tiny treasure highlights how everyday objects chronicled cultural icons, inviting us to ponder the thrill of forgotten feats on wheels.

About the Artist

W.S. Kimball & Co.

William S. Kimball & Co. was a tobacco manufacturer based in Rochester, New York, whose influence extended well beyond the cigarette trade into the realm of popular visual culture. Founded in 1846 by William S. Kimball and James C. Hart, the company grew into one of the largest tobacco concerns in the United States, erecting a landmark factory along the Erie Canal on Court Street in 1880. The buil...