Portrait of woman, from the Novelties series (N228, Type 2) issued by Kinney Bros.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of late 19th-century advertising with this charming *Portrait of Woman* from Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company's Novelties series (N228, 2), produced in 1889. This petite, round commercial color lithographmeasuring just 1 9/16 inches in diameter—was designed as an enticing insert for cigarette packs, part of a popular trend where tobacco companies like Kinney Bros. distributed collectible cards to boost sales and captivate consumers. The anonymous female subject embodies the era's fascination with elegant portraits of women, evoking the grace and allure of Victorian ideals. Crafted via chromolithography, a revolutionary printing technique that allowed for vivid, mass-produced color images at low cost, this ephemera exemplifies the artistry of commercial design. Kinney Brothers, a prominent New York firm, issued series like Novelties to appeal to a growing collector base, blending fine portraiture with clever marketing. Today, it resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, thanks to the Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a treasure trove of American ephemera gifted in 1948. This tiny gem offers a window into Gilded Age consumer culture, where everyday indulgences came wrapped in pocket-sized beauty, reminding us how art permeated even the humblest products.

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...