Connecticut, from the Industries of States series (N117) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1889

This small lithograph was produced around 1888 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to advertise Honest Long Cut Tobacco. The image presents us with a curious allegory of Connecticut. A female figure, draped in classical garb and bearing a sword, is positioned before a shield emblazoned with the state’s name. But the picture speaks less of ancient virtues than the modern industries it was meant to promote. This was the era of the so-called “New South”, and tobacco magnates like Duke were keen to promote a vision of industrial progress. The imagery invokes a classical past, but the purpose was thoroughly modern: advertising a product and promoting a vision of regional economic development. The institutional history of advertising is essential to understanding this piece. We must turn to the archives of companies and advertising agencies to understand it fully. By understanding the social conditions in which this image was produced, we can better understand the politics of imagery.