Turkey, from the National Flags series (N195) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Turkey, from the National Flags seriesN195)*, a petite commercial color lithograph produced William S. Kimball & Company in 1891. This 4¼ × 2⅜-inch card boldly displays the Ottoman Empire's flag—red with a white crescent moon and star—capturing national pride in a format designed for everyday handling. Issued as promotional ephemera, likely tucked into cigarette packs by the New York-based tobacco firm, it exemplifies how commerce intertwined with education and collecting. Chromolithography, the era's breakthrough printing technique, enabled Kimball & Co. to mass-produce these vivid, multi-layered colors affordably, transforming simple trade cards into colorful keepsakes. Part of a broader series showcasing global flags, this piece reflects late Victorian fascination with international symbols amid rising global trade and imperialism, offering smokers a pocket-sized world tour. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a treasure trove of American ephemera—this unassuming print highlights ephemera's artistic merit. It reminds us how everyday objects preserved cultural snapshots, bridging art, history, and consumer culture.

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...