Number 2, A Sure and Astonishing Soltaire, from the Tricks with Cards series (N138) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco

Art Historical Context

This charming 1887 commercial color lithograph, titled *Number 2, A Sure and Astonishing Solitaire*, was issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as part of their “Tricks with Cards” series (N138) to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco. Measuring 2½ by 4⅜ inches, the card was likely tucked inside tobacco packages, turning a simple purchase into an interactive experience. Produced through the vibrant, mass-reproducible technique of color lithography by The Giles Company, it reflects the era’s growing sophistication in commercial printing and advertising. In the late nineteenth century, tobacco manufacturers competed fiercely by offering collectible cards featuring games, sports, and novelties. By focusing on card tricks, Duke cleverly linked their product with leisure and skill, encouraging customers to save the series. The small format and colorful design made these ephemeral items both practical advertisements and miniature works of popular art. Today, this piece resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, where such trade cards are valued for illuminating the intersection of commerce, entertainment, and graphic design in American culture.

About the Artist

W. Duke, Sons & Co.|The Giles 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...