Ten Hearts (red), from the Playing Cards series (N84) for Duke brand cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century American advertising with *Ten Hearts (red)*, a charming chromolithograph from the N84 Playing Cards series produced by W. Duke, & Co. in 1888. This petite card, measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches, was one of millions inserted into Duke brand cigarette packs as a promotional giveaway. Tobacco magnate James B. Duke pioneered this strategy to boost sales in a competitive market, transforming everyday smokes into collectible treasures that appealed to adults and children alike. Crafted via color lithography—a revolutionary printing technique that allowed mass production of vivid, multi-hued images on a budget—this card exemplifies commercial art's role in everyday culture. The bold red hearts pop against the white background, mimicking a real playing card to evoke games, luck, and leisure. Part of a larger series featuring suits and faces, it highlights the era's blend of whimsy and marketing savvy. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this ephemera reveals how ordinary objects captured historical moments. Burdick, a legendary collector, amassed over 30 million cards, preserving these snapshots of Gilded Age innovation for us to admire. A tiny window into commerce's creative flair!

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...