King of Hearts (red), from the Playing Cards series (N84) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888

This is "King of Hearts (red)" a chromolithograph card, produced around 1888 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. for their Duke brand cigarettes. The mass production of such cards speaks volumes about the intertwined histories of advertising and art. We see the King of Hearts, a conventional image of European playing cards. These cards were originally hand-painted and commissioned by the elite. By the late 19th century, they became commercial products. The image is not just about entertainment; it's about the branding of cigarettes and the expansion of consumer culture. The chromolithographic printing process allowed for cheap and quick reproduction, which fuelled consumerism. Cigarette cards, like this one, were inserted into cigarette packs. They were collected by children and adults, thus advertising Duke's brand. Historians use trade catalogs, business archives, and advertising ephemera to trace the rise of such consumer culture. The King of Heart's story is of art democratized, co-opted, and repurposed in a rapidly changing society.