Stephanie, from the Ballet Queens series (N182) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.

Art Historical Context

"Stephanie, from the Ballet Queens series (N182)," issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. in 1889, captures the graceful allure of a ballet dancer in a petite commercial color lithograph. Produced by the American tobacco company, this tiny print—measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches—was likely designed as an insert for cigarette packs, part of a popular series celebrating the era's fascination with ballet stars. Such ephemera reflects the late 19th-century boom in affordable, collectible advertising art, blending commerce with cultural icons. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized printing by layering vibrant colors through multiple lithographic stones, enabling mass production of eye-catching images at low cost. This technique brought high-art glamour to everyday consumers, idealizing women dancers as symbols of elegance and exoticism during the Gilded Age. Kimball's series tapped into the rising popularity of ballet in America, influenced by European troupes touring U.S. stages. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this delicate print offers a window into Victorian leisure and marketing ingenuity. Collectors prized these "Ballet Queens" for their charm, preserving a snapshot of how ballet queens like Stephanie embodied dreams of poise and performance for a broad audience.

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...