Commercial Traveller, from the Occupations for Women series (N166) for Old Judge and Dogs Head Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Commercial Traveller* (N166), a gem from Goodwin & Company's *Occupations for Women*, produced in 1887 for Old Judge and Dogs Headarettes. This petite commercial color lithograph, just 2 11/16 x 1 1/2 inches, captures a poised female figure in profile, embodying the era's emerging professional opportunities for women. Issued as collectible inserts in cigarette packs, these ephemera cards were wildly popular, blending promotion with pocket-sized artistry. Printed via chromolithography—a revolutionary technique that layered vibrant colors through multiple lithographic stones—the image exemplifies mass-produced visual appeal. Goodwin & Company, a leading tobacco firm, leveraged this method to create affordable, eye-catching series that romanticized women's roles in trades like sales, challenging Victorian norms amid the Gilded Age's social shifts. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, it highlights how everyday objects documented cultural change. This tiny print invites reflection on gender, commerce, and collecting— a snapshot of ambition in an age of transformation.

About the Artist

Goodwin & Company · 1850–1950

**Goodwin & Company (ca. 1850–1950)** Goodwin & Company, originally established as E. Goodwin and Brother before the American Civil War, emerged as a prominent New York City-based tobacco manufacturer in the mid-19th century. Operating from the bustling heart of Manhattan, the firm built its reputation on popular cigarette brands such as Gypsy Queen and, most notably, Old Judge, which became syno...