Newport, Rhode Island, from the Surf Beauties series (N232), issued by Kinney Bros.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Newport, Rhode Island a gem from the *Surf Beauties* seriesN232), issued by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company 1889. This commercial color lithograph, just 2¾ × 1½ inches, was designed as a collectible insert card tucked into cigarette packs. It captures the allure of women in profile, poised amid seaside sports, evoking the glamorous beach culture of Newport, Rhode Island—a playground for America's Gilded Age elite. Chromolithography, the era's cutting-edge printing technique, brought these tiny scenes to life with bold, jewel-like colors, making high-quality imagery affordable for mass distribution. The *Surf Beauties* series celebrated emerging ideals of feminine athleticism and leisure, blending sports like swimming and beach play with romanticized beauty. Tags highlighting women, profiles, sports, and athletes underscore its nod to a shifting cultural landscape where leisure activities gained prominence. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this ephemera print reveals how tobacco companies fueled a collecting craze while mirroring societal fascinations. A snapshot of Victorian marketing ingenuity, it invites us to ponder the playful intersection of commerce, fashion, and fun.

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...