Bell, from the Novelties series (N228, Type 3) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889

This novelty card was produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, purveyors of Sweet Caporal cigarettes. It’s made of paper, printed with chromolithography. What’s interesting here is the way an industrial process, chromolithography, is used to create a mass-produced collectible that mimics a precious object: a golden bell. These cards were given away with cigarette packs, and were immensely popular. The company put a lot of effort into these little artworks, resulting in a high-quality image with great visual appeal. The smooth, glossy surface belies the complex labor and industrial processes that went into it. Each color required a separate lithographic stone, prepared by skilled artisans. And the whole operation was driven by consumerism, the engine of capitalism itself. We might normally associate lithography with fine art prints, but here, that process is embedded in a very different kind of value system. It's a testament to the power of materials, making, and context in shaping our understanding of art.