Queen of Diamonds (red), from the Playing Cards series (N84) for Duke brand cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th American advertising with *Queen of Diamonds (red, a charming chromolithograph from W. Duke, Sons & Co.'s Playing Cards series (N84 produced in 1888. This tiny gem, measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches, was designed as a collectible insert tucked into Duke brand cigarette packs. During the fierce "cigarette wars of the 1880s, tobacco like Duke pioneered these trading cards to lure customers, sparking a collecting craze that captivated adults and children alike. Crafted via commercial color lithography—a revolutionary printing technique that allowed vivid, mass-produced hues on paper—this card exemplifies the era's fusion of art and commerce. The bold red-suited Queen of Diamonds embodies the playful iconography of standard playing cards, rendered with crisp lines and striking colors to entice repeat purchases. As ephemera, it highlights how everyday objects became miniature artworks. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece preserves a slice of Gilded Age marketing ingenuity. It foreshadows modern trading cards, reminding us how commerce shaped popular culture. (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...