Virginia, from the Industries of States series (N117) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century American advertising with *Virginia*, a charming chromolithograph from theIndustries of States* (N117), produced in 1889 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote their Honest Long Cut Tobacco. petite card, measuring just 4 3/16 × 2 1/2 inches, personifies the state of Virginia—renowned for its tobacco heritage—through an allegorical female figure, evocatively rendered with shields and classical nudity. Such imagery blended patriotism, industry pride, and allure to captivate collectors and consumers alike. Chromolithography, the era's breakthrough in affordable color printing, allowed Duke's cards to burst with vivid hues and intricate details, making them standout ephemera. Issued as inserts in tobacco packs, these trade cards fueled a collecting craze during the Gilded Age, transforming everyday ads into coveted keepsakes. Duke Sons & Co., a tobacco powerhouse, pioneered this marketing savvy, helping shape modern branding. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, *Virginia* offers a window into how commerce intertwined with art and regional identity, celebrating American ingenuity one colorful card at a time.

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...