John Adams, from the series Great Americans (N76) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888

This chromolithograph of John Adams was produced around 1900 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as part of a series of "Great Americans" distributed with Duke brand cigarettes. Here, the third president of the United States is surrounded by symbols of the burgeoning American nation: the flag and bald eagle. It's worth noting that this image was not intended as high art, but as commercial ephemera. Cigarette cards like these were immensely popular at the time and served as a form of advertising and collecting. But they also played a role in shaping public perceptions of historical figures. The idealized portrayal of Adams as a stern, patriotic leader reinforces a particular narrative of American history. To fully understand the context of this image, we might turn to archival research on the W. Duke, Sons & Co. and their marketing strategies. In doing so, we can interpret the image as a historical document, which can shed light on the cultural values and social structures of its time.