Governor Larrabee, Iowa, from "Governors, Arms, Etc." series (N133-2), issued by Duke Sons & Co.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century American ephemera with *Governor Larrabee,*, a charming commercial color lithograph from the "Govern, Arms, Etc." (N133-2), produced around 1888 by W. Duke, Sons & Co a prominent tobacco manufacturer. This pocket-sized print (unfolded: 2¾ × 4⅜ in.) captures Iowa's Governor William Larrabee in profile, likely flanked by patriotic symbols like horses and flags, evoking state pride during the Gilded Age—a time of rapid industrialization and national unity post-Civil War. Chromolithography, the medium here, revolutionized mass printing by layering vibrant colors through multiple stones, making affordable, eye-catching imagery accessible. Issued as foldable inserts (to 2¾ × 1½⅜ in.) in cigarette packs, these cards were collectibles that fueled a booming trade card craze, blending advertising with education on American leaders and heraldry. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this piece from The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection highlights everyday artifacts' cultural role. Burdick's vast archive preserves these snapshots of history, reminding us how commerce intertwined with civic identity in late Victorian America. A delightful glimpse into collectors' passions!

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...