Bertha Ricci in Colors of Royal Belgian Yacht Club, from the Yacht Colors of the World series (N140) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco

Art Historical Context

In the late 19th century, tobacco companies like W., Sons & Co. revolutionized advertising with collectible cards tucked into cigarette packs, turning everyday purchases into a treasure hunt for enthusiasts. This vibrant *Bertha Ricci in Colors of Belgian Yacht Club* (1890) is a gem from their *Yacht Colors of the World* series (N140), promoting "Honest Long Cut Tobacco." Measuring just 4 x 2½ inches, this commercial color lithograph captures the elegance of international yachting culture, featuring a woman's profile—likely Bertha Ricci herself—adorned in the club's distinctive flag colors, blending fashion, nationalism, and nautical pride. Lithography, a pioneering printing technique, allowed for bold, multi-hued reproductions on these ephemera, making them affordable yet visually striking souvenirs. Produced during the Gilded Age boom in consumer culture, the series highlighted prestigious yacht clubs worldwide, from Europe to America, reflecting the era's obsession with leisure, travel, and status symbols. Today, preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, it offers a window into how commerce intertwined with collecting, evoking the thrill of Victorian scrapbooks filled with such tiny treasures.

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...