Theo in Modern Persian Costume, from the set Actors and Actresses, First Series (N70) 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
63.350.204.70.50
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of late 19th-century advertising with *Theo in Modern Persian Costume*, a charming commercial color lithograph from the "Actors and Actresses, Series (N70)" by W. Duke, Sons & Co. in collaboration with Knapp & Company around 1888–89. These tiny cards (just 2¾ x 1½ inches) were tucked into Duke brand cigarette packs as collectibles, sparking a craze among smokers and enthusiasts alike. Featuring the actress "Theo" in an exotic Persian-inspired outfit, the image captures the era's theatrical glamour and fascination with Orientalism, blending Western stagecraft with im...
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...