Swinging Rings Exercise, from the Pretty Athletes series (N196) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.

Art Historical Context

This charming color lithograph from 1889 belongs to the “Pretty Athletes” series (N196), a set of small trading cards issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Company, a leading tobacco manufacturer. At a time when women’s participation in sports was still considered unconventional, the card celebrates female strength and grace by depicting an athlete performing a rings exercise. Such images helped introduce the idea of physical fitness for women to a broad public through everyday objects tucked inside cigarette packs. Printed by the noted firm Julius Bien & Co., the card exemplifies the vibrant commercial chromolithography that flourished in the late nineteenth century. Its modest size—just 3¾ by 2½ inches—made it easy to collect and trade, turning mass-produced ephemera into miniature works of art. The crisp lines and bright hues capture both the motion of the exercise and the fashionable athletic costume of the era. Today the print resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Burdick Collection, preserving a delightful glimpse into the early promotion of women’s sports and the colorful history of American advertising.

About the Artist

William S. Kimball & Company|Julius Bien & Co. · 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...