Pontifical States, from the National Flags series (N195) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.

Art Historical Context

This charming commercial color lithograph from 1891 belongs to the National Flags series (N195), a set of collectible cards issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Company, a prominent American tobacco firm. Measuring just over four inches tall, the card features the coat of arms and flag of the Pontifical States—the former territories governed by the papacy—rendered in vibrant printed hues typical of late-nineteenth-century chromolithography. Such cards were often tucked into cigarette packages, transforming everyday tobacco purchases into opportunities for education and collecting. Though the Papal States had been absorbed into the newly unified Kingdom of Italy in 1870, the 1891 series preserved their historic symbols for an American audience fascinated by world geography and heraldry. The small format and crisp commercial printing reflect the era’s advances in mass-produced imagery, making flags and emblems accessible far beyond museum walls. Today, this piece forms part of the Metropolitan Museum’s Burdick Collection of printed ephemera, reminding visitors how popular culture once turned national emblems into miniature works of art.

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...