Governor Scales, North Carolina, from "Governors, Arms, Etc." series (N133-2), issued by Duke Sons & Co. 1885 - 1892

This small lithograph of Governor Scales was produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. sometime between 1870 and 1920 as part of a series of cigarette cards. It's an advertisement, yes, but more than that, it’s a window into the complex intersections of commerce, identity, and power in the post-Reconstruction South. The image of Governor Scales, flanked by symbols of North Carolina, including scenes of turpentine and tobacco production, presents a narrative of progress and prosperity. However, this narrative obscures the exploitation of labor – specifically African American labor – that fueled these industries. The card romanticizes the South, while promoting Duke cigarettes, it subtly reinforces the social hierarchy. These tiny cards participated in the larger cultural project of constructing and disseminating particular narratives about American identity, then, as it continues to do today.