Monfredo, from National Dances (N225, Type 1) issued by Kinney Bros.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Monfredo, from National Dances (N225, Type 1)*, a charming commercial color lithograph produced by the Kinney Brothers Company in 1889 This petite card, measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches, was part of a popular series inserted into cigarette packs to entice collectors and boost sales. Tobacco companies like Kinney Bros. pioneered these ephemera, turning everyday products into gateways for cultural education and whimsy, capturing the era's fascination with global traditions. The image celebrates "Monfredo," a graceful female dancer embodying the lively spirit of national folk dances. Rendered in vivid chromolithography—a cutting-edge technique that allowed mass production of colorful, detailed prints—this work showcases the precision of layered stone printing, bringing movement and elegance to life on a tiny scale. Its classification as prints and ephemera highlights its role in everyday American life, blending commerce with artistry. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece offers a window into Gilded Age collecting culture, where such cards sparked joy and sparked conversations about dance worldwide. A delightful snapshot of history in your hand!

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...