Benjamin Gleadell, from the Sea Captains series (N127) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century American advertising with *Benjamin Gleadell, the Sea Captains seriesN127)*, a petite commercial color lithograph produced in 1887 by W. Duke, Sons & Co and printed by George S. Harris Sons. This tiny portrait (just 4 3/16 × 2 7/16 inches) was issued to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco part of a popular series featuring rugged sea captains—heroes of maritime lore—who embodied adventure and reliability in an era of expanding global trade. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized mass printing by layering vibrant colors from multiple stones, enabling affordable, eye-catching ephemera like these collectible trade cards. Tucked into tobacco packages, they fueled a collecting craze among Victorians, blending portraiture with commerce in the Gilded Age. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece highlights how everyday objects captured cultural icons, turning a simple smoker's premium into a snapshot of American ingenuity and seafaring pride. A delightful glimpse of history in your pocket!

About the Artist

W. Duke, Sons & Co.|George S. Harris & Sons · 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...