Seated woman with bird on shoulder (on white silk), from the Girl Art Subjects series (N193) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.

Art Historical Context

This charming lithograph, *Seated Woman with Bird on Shoulder (on white silk)*, hails from the "Girl Art Subjects" seriesN193), produced around 1890 by William S. Kimball & Company a prominent American tobacco firm, in collaboration with The Photo-Grure Company. Measuring just 5½ × 2⅞ inches, this petite print was likely distributed as a premium insert in cigarette packages—a popular marketing tactic of the era to entice collectors and boost sales. The intimate portrait depicts a poised woman with a bird perched gracefully on her shoulder, evoking Victorian ideals of feminine beauty, elegance, and harmony with nature. Printed commercially via lithography on delicate white silk, the medium lent these ephemera an unusual luxury, with vibrant colors and fine details achieved through multi-stone lithographic processes. This technique allowed mass production while mimicking the richness of fine art, making everyday tobacco promotions feel like miniature masterpieces. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department as part of the Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, it exemplifies the cultural phenomenon of 19th-century trade cards. These collectibles not only advertised products but also reflected societal fascinations with women and birds as symbols of grace and exotic allure, offering a window into Gilded Age consumer culture.

About the Artist

William S. Kimball & Company|The Photo-Gravure 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...