Saint Briac, from the Fancy Bathers series (N187) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th advertising with *Saint Briac, from the Fancy Bathers series (187)*, a charming commercial color lithograph produced by William S. Kimball & Company in 1889. This print, measuring just 2 /16 × 1 1/2 inches, the allure of women in leisurely bathing scenes, evoking the fashionable seaside resorts of the era like Saint-Briac-sur-Mer in France. Issued as part of a collectible tobacco insert series, it reflects the booming trade card culture, where companies bundled these ephemera with cigarettes to entice collectors and boost brand loyalty. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a revolutionary technique by the late 1880s, allowing for vivid, multi-layered colors through sequential stone printing—a far cry from earlier hand-colored methods. Kimball & Co., a prominent Rochester, New York-based tobacco firm, leveraged this to create eye-catching "Fancy Bathers" cards that idealized feminine beauty and leisure, blending art with commerce. Today, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece highlights ephemera's artistic merit. It offers a window into Victorian-era consumer culture, where everyday objects became coveted art, bridging high art traditions with popular entertainment. A delightful glimpse of history in your palm!

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...