Benjamin Franklin, from the series Great Americans (N76) for Duke brand cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th American advertising with this petite chromolithograph of Benjamin Franklin, part of the "Great Americans (N76)" series produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. in 1888. Measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches, this colorful print was designed as an insert for Duke brand cigarette packs, transforming everyday tobacco products into collectible treasures. Franklin, the polymath inventor, statesman, and Founding Father, is rendered in a dignified portrait, embodying the era's admiration for national heroes. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a groundbreaking technique that allowed for vivid, multi-color reproductions at low cost, revolutionizing commercial printing. Duke, a leading tobacco firm, pioneered these "cigarette cards" to boost sales and foster collecting among consumers, particularly young men and boys. By 1888, such ephemera had become a cultural phenomenon, blending patriotism with consumerism. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this card highlights how everyday objects captured enduring icons. It offers a window into Gilded Age marketing savvy and the birth of trading card culture, reminding us that even humble inserts preserved slices of history.

About the Artist

W. Duke, Sons & Co. · 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...