Parallel Bar, Handspring, from the Gymnastic Exercises series (N77) for Duke brand cigarettes 1887

This small chromolithograph was produced in the United States around 1888 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as one of a series of collectible cards included in packs of Duke cigarettes. The image depicts a woman performing a handspring on parallel bars. The colors are bright and the style is simple, fitting the conventions of commercial advertising. The card is interesting not so much as a work of art but as a social document. It reflects several aspects of American culture at the time, including the rise of mass-produced consumer goods like cigarettes, the use of advertising to promote these products, and the growing popularity of sports and physical fitness, even for women. The phrase 'largest cigarette manufacturers in the world' printed at the bottom emphasizes the scale of industrial capitalism in the US at this time. For historians, trade cards like this offer a glimpse into the everyday lives and values of people in the past. By studying them, along with other sources like newspapers, magazines, and business records, we can better understand the social and economic forces that shaped the modern world.