Lying Out of It, from the Jokes series (N87) for Duke brand cigarettes
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (7 × 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
63.350.204.81.27
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, American tobacco companies like W., Sons & Co. revolutionized advertising with colorful insert cards tucked into cigarette packs, turning everyday purchases into collectibles. *Lying Out of It from the Jokes seriesN87) produced around 1890, exemplifies trend. This diminutive chromolithograph—measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches—likely depicts a humorous scene of evasion or mischief, part of a set designed to entertain smokers and encourage brand loyalty for Duke cigarettes. Printed by George S. Harris & Sons, it captures the playful wit of the era's commercial ephemera. Chr...
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...