Lute and Bass Viol, from the Musical Instruments series (N121) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Lute and Bass Viol a charming chromolithograph from the1888 Musical Instruments seriesN121). Produced by W. Duke, & Co. in collaboration with Schumacher & Ettlinger to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco, petite print (just 2½ × 4⅛ inches) captures the elegance of lutes and bass viols, likely accompanied by graceful women, evoking Renaissance musical traditions amid Victorian nostalgia. Chromolithography, a pioneering color printing technique, allowed for the mass production of these eye-catching cards, inserted into cigarette packs to entice collectors and boost sales. Duke's innovative marketing transformed ephemera into a cultural phenomenon, sparking a trading card craze that popularized subjects from sports to music. This piece exemplifies commercial art's artistry—bold hues and fine details making everyday promotion feel luxurious. Today, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department as part of The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, it highlights how tobacco ads bridged commerce and culture, preserving snapshots of historical instruments and feminine ideals for modern admirers. A tiny treasure revealing big stories!

About the Artist

W. Duke, Sons & Co.|Schumacher & Ettlinger · 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...