Ruth Stetson, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of late 19th-century advertising with *Ruth Stetson, the Actresses series (203)*, a diminutive commercial color lithograph by William S. Kimball & Company in 1889. This tiny gem, measuring just 2 5/8 × 1 3/8 inches, captures the allure of Ruth Stetson, a celebrated actress the era, in a format designed for mass appeal. Issued as part of a popular series, it exemplifies ephemera—those everyday printed items that offer a window into daily life and consumer culture. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a revolutionary printing technique that allowed for vivid, multi-color reproductions at low cost, making celebrity imagery accessible to the masses. Kimball, a tobacco firm, likely distributed these cards with their products, blending entertainment with promotion in a time when actresses embodied glamour and modernity. The classification as ephemera and photographs underscores its roots in commercial photography, highlighting how women like Stetson became icons of emerging mass media. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, thanks to the Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece invites us to ponder the cultural stardom of actresses and the artistry of advertising. A charming survivor of Gilded Age ephemera, it reminds us how small objects can pack big historical punch.

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...