A Short History of General I. McDowell, from the Histories of Generals series (N114) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Smoking and Chewing Tobacco
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 4 3/16 × 2 1/2 in. (10.7 × 6.4 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick
Accession Number
63.350.206.114.154
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, American tobacco companies like W. Duke Sons & Co. cleverly blended commerce with popular history through collectible trade cards. This vibrant 1888 commercial color lithograph, *A Short History of General. McDowell*, is of the "Histories Generals" series (114), issued to promote "Honest Cut Smoking and Chewing." Produced by Knapp & Company, these pocket-sized cards (just 4 3/16 × 2 1/2 inches) were tucked into tobacco packages, enticing smokers and chewers to collect sets featuring Civil War luminaries. General Irvin McDowell, a Union commander infamous for his defea...
About the Artist
Knapp & Company|W. Duke, Sons & Co. (American|American) · |1870 – |1920
American, New York|New York and Durham, N.C.