Saxophone and Flute, from the Musical Instruments series (N121) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 1/2 × 4 1/16 in. (6.4 × 10.3 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
63.350.206.121.4
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, American tobacco companies like W. Duke, Sons & Co. revolutionized marketing through colorful trade cards, small collectibles distributed with products to entice consumers. *Saxophone and Fl* (1888), from the Musical Instruments series (121), exemplifies this era's commercial artistry. Produced by lithographers Schumacher & Ettlinger, this color lithograph (just 2½ × 4⅛ inches) advertises "Honest Long Tobacco" while showcasing elegant women with a saxophone and flute, blending musical allure with brand promotion. These cards were traded among children and adults alike...
About the Artist
W. Duke, Sons & Co.|Schumacher & Ettlinger · 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...