Indiana, from the Industries of States series (N117) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century American advertising with *Indiana, from the Industries of States series (N117)*, a charming commercial color lithograph produced in 1889 by W. Duke, Sons & Co This petite card (just 4 3/16 × 2 1/2 inches) was designed to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco, part of a collectible series celebrating U.S. states through their industries. Featuring allegorical imagery of women with shields—evoking strength and protection—it personifies Indiana, blending patriotism with commercial appeal during the Gilded Age's advertising boom. Color lithography, the medium here, was a breakthrough technique allowing mass production of vivid, multi-hued prints at low cost. Duke, a leading tobacco firm, leveraged this to create eye-catching ephemera like trade cards, which smokers traded and collected much like today's baseball cards. These inserts turned everyday purchases into treasures, reflecting the era's innovative marketing. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece highlights ephemera's artistic value—once dismissed as disposable, now prized for capturing cultural snapshots. A delightful glimpse into how commerce fueled creativity!

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...