Caricatured Algerian, Zudi-Budshu, from the series Coins of All Nations (N72, variation 2) for Duke brand cigarettes

Art Historical Context

This charming yet revealing chromolithograph, *Caricatured Algerian,udi-Budshu*, is a tiny gem from W. Duke, Sons & Co.'s 1889 "Coins of Nations" series (N72, variation 2). Produced as a collectible insert for Duke brand cigarettes, it measures just 2¾ x 1½ inches, designed to entice smokers—especially children and teens—to buy more packs for the full set. The card depicts a stylized Algerian man alongside a coin, blending numismatics with exotic caricature in a nod to global currencies. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a cutting-edge 19th-century technique using multiple lithographic stones for vibrant, mass-produced color printing. Duke's cards exemplify commercial art's role in popularizing education and collecting, turning everyday tobacco products into cultural artifacts. Part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, they highlight ephemera's artistic value. Culturally, these cards reflect late Victorian fascination with the "Orient," often through simplified, caricatured lenses that exoticized figures like Zudi-Budshu. Today, they offer insight into advertising's persuasive power and evolving views on global representation, reminding us how small prints captured big-world curiosities.

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...