Maharatta, Chief of Gwalior, India, from the Savage and Semi-Barbarous Chiefs and Rulers series (N189) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.

Art Historical Context

Step into the world of 19th-centuryhemera with this vibrant *Maharatta, Chief ofwalior, India*, commercial color lithograph from 1888. Produced by the American tobacco firm William S. Kimball & Company it belongs to their "Savage and Semi-Barbarous Chiefs andulers" series (N), a set of collectible portrait cards distributed as premiums with cigarettes. At just 2 11/16 × 1 1/2 inches, these tiny treasures were designed for enthusiasts to trade and display, blending commerce with armchair exploration of distant lands. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized mass printing by layering colors to mimic paintings affordably, making exotic imagery accessible to everyday Americans. This portrait captures a Maratha leader from Gwalior—a prominent princely state in British India—through a Western lens, highlighting turban, jewelry, and regal pose amid tags of "Men" and "Portraits." It reflects late Victorian fascination with global rulers, often romanticized or stereotyped as "semi-barbarous" in an era of empire. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department as part of The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this ephemera piece offers a window into cultural exchange, advertising ingenuity, and shifting perceptions of the East. A delightful snapshot of history in your pocket!

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...