A Short History of General Wade Hampton, from the Histories of Generals series (N114) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Smoking and Chewing Tobacco

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century American advertising with *A Short History of General Hampton*, a petite commercial color lithograph from1888. Produced by & Company for W. Duke, Sons & Co this card belongs to the *Histories of Generals series (N114), to promote "Honest Long Cut Smoking andwing Tobacco." Measuring just 4 3/16 × 2 1/2 inches, it was designed as collectible ephemera—, colorful inserts tucked into tobacco packages to captivate consumers and build brand loyalty. The portrait honors Wade Hampton III, a prominent Confederate general during the Civil War, whose legacy as a Southern hero resonated in the post-Reconstruction era. These cards blended patriotism with commerce, offering bite-sized biographies alongside flattering images to evoke nostalgia and heroism. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, part of The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, it exemplifies how ephemera preserved everyday cultural artifacts. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a breakthrough technique allowing vivid, multi-color printing at scale—perfect for mass-market appeal. This unassuming print reveals the era's fusion of military reverence, consumer culture, and innovative graphic arts, reminding us how tobacco giants shaped popular history.

About the Artist

Knapp & Company|W. Duke, Sons & Co. (American|American) · |1870 – |1920

American, New York|New York and Durham, N.C.