A Happy New Year 1890, from the New Years 1890 series (N227) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889 - 1890

This small lithograph, "A Happy New Year 1890" by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, presents a curious ensemble of figures and textual elements. Predominantly, the composition features an old, winged man carrying a child on his shoulders, while he blows a long golden horn. The formal arrangement strikes a balance between the ethereal and the celebratory. Notice how the linear form of the trumpet directs our gaze towards the year '1890', articulated in a stylized, vaporous font. A banner unfurls above, bearing the inscription 'A Happy New Year', creating a textual horizon that both frames and defines the image's thematic intent. The color palette, muted yet hopeful, further enhances this sense of anticipation. The artist uses visual language to convey transition and announcement. The horn, a signifier of proclamation, and the figures, who are symbolic of the old and the new, create a narrative of time's passage. This visual syntax challenges static representation, engaging with broader cultural perceptions of time.