Trapeze, Flying Jump, from the Gymnastic Exercises series (N77) for Duke brand cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Trapeze, Flying Jump a diminutive yet dynamic commercial color lithograph from W. Duke, Sons & Co.'s *Gymnastic Exercises* (N77), produced in 1887. Measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches, this ephemera captures a daring female acrobat mid-leap on the trapeze, her form frozen in graceful motion against a simple backdrop. Part of Duke's innovative cigarette card inserts—tiny collectibles tucked into packs to boost brand loyalty—these prints celebrated athletic prowess at a time when women's physical feats were gaining visibility. Chromolithog...

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...