Josie Baker as "The Terrapin," from the series Fancy Dress Ball Costumes (N73) for Duke brand cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 1880s advertising with this charming commercial color lithograph,Josie Baker as " Terrapin,"* from the *Fancy Dress Ball Cost (N73)* series produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. and by Knapp & Company. just 2¾ x 1½ inches, this tiny card captures actress Josie Baker in a whimsical turtle costume, complete with a domed shell and playful fins, evoking the theatrical flair of Gilded Age fancy dress balls. These events were all the rage among high society, blending fantasy, celebrity, and elaborate disguises. As part of Duke's promotional inserts for their popular cigarettes, the card exemplifies chromolithography—a revolutionary technique that allowed mass production of vivid, multi-colored images at low cost. Tobacco companies like Duke pioneered such ephemera to entice collectors, turning everyday packs into treasure troves of pop culture. Josie Baker, a noted performer, embodies the era's fascination with burlesque stars and animal-themed revelry, where "terrapin" nods to the trendy turtle motif in fashion and folklore. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this piece from The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection highlights how commercial art bridged advertising and fine art, preserving slices of Victorian entertainment history for us today.

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...