A Short History of General Quincy Adams Gilmore, from the Histories of Generals series of booklets (N78) for Duke brand cigarettes
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Overall (Booklet closed): 2 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (7 × 3.8 cm) Overall (Booklet open): 2 3/4 × 2 7/8 in. (7 × 7.3 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
63.350.204.78.14
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, American tobacco companies like W. Duke, Sons & Co. revolutionized marketing by inserting collectible cards and booklets into cigarette packs turning everyday purchases into a hunt for history and heroes. This tiny 1888 pamphlet, *A Short History of General Adams Gilmore*, is a from their "Histories of Gener" series (N78). Printed as a commercial color lithograph Knapp & Company, it folds to just 2¾ × 1½ inches—perfectly pocket-sized for enthusiasts. Featuring a portrait of Union Civil War general Quincy Adams Gilmore, known for his engineering feats during the Siege ...
About the Artist
W. Duke, Sons & Co.|Knapp & Company · 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...