Caricatured Austrian, 1 Ducat, from the series Coins of All Nations (N72, variation 1) for Duke brand cigarettes
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 in. (7 x 3.8 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
63.350.204.72.7
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, American tobacco companies like W. Duke, Sons & Co. revolutionized marketing by inserting collectible cards into cigarette packs, turning everyday smoking into a hobby for enthusiasts. This tiny commercial color lithograph, *Caricatured Austrian,1 Ducat, from series Coins of All Nations (N72, variation 1)*, dates to 1889 and exemplifies that trend. Produced for Duke brand cigarettes, itously depicts a caricatured Austrian figure alongside a 1 Ducat coin, blending national stereotypes with numismatic fascination in a pocket-sized format (just 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches). Ch...
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...