Matelot, from National Dances (N225, Type 2) issued by Kinney Bros.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Matelot, from Dances (N225, Type 2)*, a charming commercial color lithograph produced by the Kinney Brothers Company in 1889 This petite card, measuring just 2 3/4 × 1 1/2 inches, captures the lively spirit of the French "matelot" dance—a traditional sailors' jig often performed with energetic steps and colorful costumes. Likely depicting a graceful female dancer mid-performance, it belongs to a popular series celebrating global folk dances, blending cultural homage with clever marketing. Chromolithography, the innovative printing technique used here, allowed for vivid, multi-layered colors on a mass scale, making these cards affordable collectibles tucked into cigarette packages. Issued by the Kinney Brothers, a leading American tobacco firm, they fueled a craze for trading and album-filling among enthusiasts, especially children and adults alike. Part of The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, this ephemera highlights how everyday commerce preserved snapshots of international traditions. Today, *Matelot* reminds us of dance's universal joy and the ephemera's power to document culture. Its delicate scale belies its role in popularizing global heritage during America's Gilded Age, inviting us to twirl through history one tiny print at a time.

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...