The Drama is Making Long Strides, from the Jokes series (N87) for Duke brand cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 1890s American advertising with *The Drama is Making Longides*, a charming chromolithograph from the Jokes series (N87) produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. in collaboration with George S. Harris & Sons This tiny gem, measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches, was tucked into Duke brand cigarette packs as a promotional insert, delighting smokers and collectors alike with its witty humor and bold colors. Part of a popular trend in tobacco ephemera, these cards turned everyday smokes into a treasure hunt, foreshadowing modern trading cards. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a breakthrough in commercial printing, allowing mass production of vivid, multi-colored images from stone plates—a technique that made high-quality visuals affordable and widespread. Duke's innovative marketing, led by James B. Duke, helped dominate the cigarette market during this Gilded Age boom, blending commerce with entertainment through themed series like jokes, sports, and actresses. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this ephemera highlights how everyday objects captured cultural whimsy and consumer culture. Its playful title likely pokes fun at the theater world's rapid evolution, inviting us to appreciate the artistry in advertising's golden age.

About the Artist

W. Duke, Sons & Co.|George S. Harris & Sons · 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...