Genevieve Lytton as "The Kite," from the series Fancy Dress Ball Costumes (N73) for Duke brand cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of late 19th-century advertising with *Genevieve Lytton as "The Kite," a charming commercial color lithograph from1889. Produced by. Duke, Sons & Co. in collaboration with Knapp & Company, this tiny print (just 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches) is part of the Fancy Dress Ball Costumes seriesN73), a set of collectible cards inserted into Duke brand cigarette packs. It captures actress Genevieve Lytton an elaborate costume inspired by a kite, evoking the theatrical flair of Gilded Age fancy dress balls where revelers donned whimsical, fantastical attire. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized commercial printing by allowing vivid, multi-color images to be mass-produced affordably—a boon for tobacco companies competing in a booming market. These ephemera cards turned smoking into a gateway for collecting, appealing especially to enthusiasts of theater and celebrity culture. Lytton's portrayal highlights the era's fascination with women actresses as icons of glamour and performance. Today, preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a legendary archive of such prints—this delicate piece offers a glimpse into everyday Victorian leisure, blending commerce, fashion, and star power in a single, pocket-sized gem.

About the Artist

W. Duke, Sons & Co.|Knapp & Company · 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...