Caricatured Algerian, Zudi-Budshu, from the series Coins of All Nations (N72, variation 1) for Duke brand cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th advertising with *Caricatured Algerian,udi-Budshu*, a colorful insert from W. Duke, Sons & Co.'s "Coins of All Nations" (N72, variation1), produced in 1889 to promote Duke brand cigarettes. These tiny chromolithographs—measuring just 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches—were tucked into cigarette packs as collectible trading cards, sparking a collecting frenzy among enthusiasts. Part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson. Burdick Collection, this ephemera captures the era's blend of commerce and curiosity about global cultures. Chromolithography, the medium here, allowed for vivid, mass-produced color printing, making exotic subjects like this caricatured Algerian figure accessible and appealing. The series highlighted coins from around the world, often personified with stereotypical portrayals of their origins, reflecting Victorian fascination with empire, travel, and numismatics. Zudi-Budshu embodies this Orientalist gaze, linking human caricature to monetary symbols in tags like "Men" and "Coins." Today, these cards offer a window into Gilded Age marketing ingenuity—how tobacco giants like Duke fueled hobbies while embedding cultural biases. A delightful, if poignant, artifact of consumer 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...