One Heart, from the Playing Cards series (N84) to promote Turkish Cross-Cut Cigarettes for W. Duke, Sons and Co.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century American advertising with *One Heart*, a charming chromolithograph from W. Duke, Sons & Co.'s Playing Cards series (N84 Produced in 1888 to promote their Turkish Cross-Cut Cig, this tiny print—measuring just 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches—was likely tucked into cigarette packages as a collectible insert. At a time when tobacco companies vied for dominance in a booming market, Duke innovated with these eye-catching cards, blending playfulness with promotion to hook smokers and enthusiasts alike. The medium, commercial color lithography, was a technological marvel of the era, enabling mass production of vivid, multi-hued images at low cost. This technique brought bold reds and intricate details to life on cheap paper, transforming everyday ephemera into miniature artworks. As part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a treasure trove of printed Americana—the card exemplifies how commerce fueled popular culture. These cards sparked a collecting frenzy, foreshadowing modern trading cards and baseball cards. *One Heart* captures the era's fusion of leisure, commerce, and lithography's artistry, reminding us how even a cigarette promotion could deal a winning hand in history.

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...