Scotland, Thistle Mark, from the series Coins of All Nations (N72, variation 2) 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
63.350.204.72.80
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, tobacco companies like W., Sons & Co. revolutionized marketing by inserting collectible cards into cigarette packs, turning smokers into avid hobbyists. This petite commercial color lithograph,Scotland, Thistle Mark, the series Coins of All (N72, variation 2)*, produced in 1889, exemplifies that trend. Measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches, it was designed for Duke brand cigarettes, part of a popular series showcasing global coinage to evoke adventure and national pride. Chromolithography, the medium here, allowed for vivid, inexpensive color printing, making these ephemera ...
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...