Actress wearing elaborate hat with flowers, from Stars of the Stage, Third Series (N131) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco

Art Historical Context

Step into the glittering world of late 19th-century theater with this charming commercial color lithograph, *Actress wearing elaborate hat with*, from the *Stars of the Stage, Series (N131)*. Produced by W. Duke, & Co.—later part of the American Tobacco Company 1891–92, this petite print (just 4 3/16 × 2 1/2 inches) captures a poised actress adorned in a lavish floral hat, embodying the era's fascination with stage stars. These cards were tucked into packs of Honest Long Cut Tobacco, turning everyday smoking into a collectible thrill. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized commercial printing with its vibrant, multi-layered colors achieved through stone-based transfers, making high-quality images affordable for mass distribution. As ephemera from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, it highlights advertising's golden age, where tobacco giants like Duke promoted products via celebrity portraits, especially glamorous women performers. Actresses symbolized modernity and allure, bridging entertainment and consumer culture. This tiny gem reveals how everyday objects preserved cultural icons, offering a window into Gilded Age America's blend of commerce, fame, and femininity. A delightful piece for any visitor pondering the stars behind the footlights!

About the Artist

W. Duke, Sons & Co.|Joseph P. Knapp|American Tobacco Company · 1870–1920

**W. Duke, Sons & Co.: Pioneers of Chromolithographic Trade Card Art** W. Duke, Sons & Co., an American tobacco manufacturer, emerged from the entrepreneurial vision of Washington Duke (1820–1905) and his sons in Durham, North Carolina. After the Civil War, Washington abandoned farming in 1874 to join his eldest son, Brodie L. Duke, in the burgeoning tobacco trade, establishing a factory that for...