Plate, from the Novelties series (N228, Type 3) issued by Kinney Bros.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of late 19-century American advertising with this petite *Plate* from Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company's Novelties series (N, Type 3), in 1889. just 1 7/16 inches in diameter, this round commercial color lithograph was likely a collectible insert tucked into cigarette packs, part of a popular trend where tobacco companies lured buyers—often young collectors—with themed cards. Produced by the Kinney Brothers a prominent New York firm, it reflects the era's booming chromolithography industry, which enabled mass production of eye-catching, multicolored images on a budget. Chromolithography, a technique layering colored inks through multiple stone plates, brought vivid realism to everyday ephemera like this print, blending commercial savvy with artistic flair. Tagged with motifs of girls and dishes, it evokes Victorian ideals of domesticity, portraying young women in dainty, household scenes that charmed audiences amid America's Gilded Age consumer culture. Such cards fueled a collecting craze, bridging art, advertising, and nostalgia. Today, preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a treasure trove of printed ephemera gifted by the legendary collector—this tiny gem highlights how everyday objects captured the spirit of their time, turning tobacco promotions into lasting cultural artifacts.

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...