Mary Anderson in Colors of New Brunswick Yacht Club, from the Yacht Colors of the World series (N140) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco

Art Historical Context

This charming 1890 commercial color lithograph, *Mary Anderson in Colors of New Brunswick Yacht Club is a pocket-sized gem from the "Yacht Colors of the" series (N140 produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote their Honest Long Cut Tobacco. just 4 × 2½ inches, it captures a portrait of a womanlikely the celebrated actress Mary Anderson—adorned in the vibrant flag colors of the New Brunswick Yacht Club blending celebrity allure with nautical pride. As part of tobacco trade card ephemera, these inserts were collected eagerly by enthusiasts, turning everyday purchases into a global showcase of yachting heraldry. Chromolithography, the era's innovative printing technique, enabled the vivid hues and fine details that made these cards so appealing, democratizing color printing for mass audiences. Issued during a yachting boom among the elite, the series highlighted international clubs' burgees (flags), reflecting Gilded Age obsessions with leisure, travel, and status symbols. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece exemplifies how commercial art bridged advertising and popular culture, preserving a snapshot of 19th-century maritime fascination and women's visibility in promotional imagery.

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...