Peter Cooper, from the series Great Americans (N76) for Duke brand cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century American advertising with this petite chromolithograph, *Peter Cooper, from the Great Americans (N76, produced in 1888 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. for their Duke cigarettes. Measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches, this colorful trading card was tucked into cigarette packs as a clever marketing ploy, encouraging collectors to buy more for the full set honoring notable figures. Chromolithography, a pioneering color printing technique, allowed for vivid, mass-produced images that brought historical heroes to life affordably. Peter Cooper (1791–1883), the celebrated industrialist, inventor, and philanthropist depicted here, epitomized the American dream. Founder of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art—a tuition-free institution still thriving today—he bridged ironworks innovation with social reform. These "N76" cards, part of a broader ephemera tradition, celebrated such "Great Americans" amid the Gilded Age's industrial boom, blending patriotism with consumer culture. Today, this gem resides in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, a treasure trove of printed ephemera gifted in 1948. It reminds us how everyday objects captured national pride, offering a window into the era's commercial artistry and collectible craze. (198 words)

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...