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

Art Historical Context

Step into the glittering world of 19th-century theater with *Miss Larkett, from Actresses series (N)*, a charming commercial color lithograph produced by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889. Issued by the American tobacco company, this petite card (just 2 5/8 × 1 3/8 inches) was part a popular series featuring portraits of celebrated actresses, distributed with cigarette packs to entice collectors and boost sales. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a treasure trove of ephemera—this piece captures the era's obsession with stage stars as cultural icons. Chromolithography, the innovative printing technique used here, revolutionized mass-produced color images in the late Victorian period. Multiple lithographic stones, each inked in a different hue, allowed for vibrant, detailed reproductions derived from photographs, making high-quality portraits affordable and widespread. Though small, the card's vivid colors and poised depiction of Miss Larkett highlight the artistry in advertising, blending portraiture with commercial savvy. These actress cards reflect broader cultural shifts: women's rising visibility in entertainment and the dawn of celebrity culture fueled by consumer goods. Today, they offer a window into Gilded Age leisure, where theater queens like Miss Larkett embodied glamour and aspiration for everyday audiences.

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...