Toboggan Slide, Saratoga, from the Magic Changing Cards series (N223) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century American ephemera with *Toboggan Slide,oga*, a charming commercial color lithograph from *Magic Changing Cards* seriesN223), issued by Kinney Tobacco Company in 1889 These diminutive cards—measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches—were tucked into cigarette packs as collectible inserts, blending marketing savvy with optical illusions that "magically" transformed when tilted or viewed from different angles. Produced during the height of the tobacco trade card craze, they captured popular leisure scenes, turning everyday smokes into treasure hunts for enthusiasts. This lively print depicts the exhilarating toboggan slide in Saratoga, a renowned resort destination in upstate New York celebrated for its mineral springs and social scene. Color lithography, a breakthrough technique for affordable, vivid mass production, allowed Kinney Brothers to flood the market with eye-catching imagery, showcasing winter thrills amid the Gilded Age's fascination with speed and spectacle. The "roads" tag hints at the slide's path winding through snowy landscapes, evoking the era's budding winter sports culture. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this ephemera gem highlights how commercial art democratized visual delight, bridging advertising and popular entertainment. A tiny window into late Victorian pastimes, it reminds us how everyday objects preserved slices of history.

About the Artist

Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company · 1869–2011

**Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company (1869–2011)** Founded around 1869 by Francis Sherwood Kinney in New York City, the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company quickly rose to prominence in the burgeoning American cigarette industry. Francis, a pioneering tobacco manufacturer, experimented with hand-rolled cigarettes using blends of Turkish and Virginia tobacco, scaling to mass production by employing Europ...