Flower Day, Japan, from the Holidays series (N80) for Duke brand cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of late 19th-century advertising with *Flower Day, Japan*, petite gem from the Holidays series (N80) by W. Duke, Sons & Co. and by George S. Harris Sons in 1890. This commercial color lithograph, measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches, was one of many collectible inserts tucked into Duke cigarette packs, enticing smokers—and often children—with their colorful allure. Depicting a festive Japanese scene likely centered on women in traditional attire amid blooming flowers, it captures the era's fascination with Japonisme, blending Eastern motifs with Western consumer appeal. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized printmaking by allowing vivid, multi-layered colors through successive stone printing plates—a technique perfect for mass-producing these ephemera. Affordable and eye-catching, such cards turned everyday tobacco products into coveted album fillers, reflecting the booming trade card craze that fueled early marketing strategies. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece highlights how advertising bridged art and commerce, offering a window into Gilded Age America's blend of exoticism, leisure, and emerging pop culture. A delightful survivor of disposable design, it reminds us how even tiny prints packed cultural punch.

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...