Zulu, Woman Messenger, from Types of Nationalities (N240) issued by Kinney Bros.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 1890s advertising with *Zulu, Woman Messenger a colorful chromolithograph from Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company's "Types of Nationalities" (N240). These cards, measuring just 2 11/16 × 1 7/16 inches when folded, were tucked into cigarette packs as collectible premiums to entice smokers and spark a trading frenzy. Produced in the United States, the series captured global "types" through stylized portraits, reflecting the era's booming tobacco industry and public fascination with distant cultures amid European imperialism and world's fairs. Crafted via commercial color lithography—a revolutionary technique that layered vibrant hues through multiple stone printing plates—this ephemera showcases mass-produced artistry at its finest. The medium allowed affordable, eye-catching designs that mimicked fine paintings, blending ethnography with commerce. Kinney Bros., a leading tobacco firm, issued these to stand out in a competitive market, turning everyday smokes into gateways for armchair exploration. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this card offers a window into late Victorian exoticism and gender roles, portraying a poised Zulu woman messenger amid stereotypes of African peoples. A charming relic of consumer culture, it reminds us how art and advertising intertwined to shape perceptions of the world.

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...