Blanche Roosevelt in Colors of Haverhill Yacht Club, from the Yacht Colors of the World series (N140) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1890

This small chromolithograph was created between 1870 and 1920 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as a promotional item for Honest Long Cut Tobacco. It features Blanche Roosevelt, an opera singer, and is part of the Yacht Colors of the World series. These cards, distributed with tobacco products, were meant to capture the public’s imagination, and to encourage brand loyalty. But they also reflected the social values of the time. Blanche Roosevelt, depicted here in the colors of the Haverhill Yacht Club, embodies the ideal of feminine beauty and refinement that was so valuable in the late 19th century. The image of Roosevelt, framed by nautical symbols, speaks to the intertwined themes of leisure, wealth, and social status. While seemingly a harmless promotion, these cards reinforced a social hierarchy, celebrating a privileged lifestyle. The whiteness of Roosevelt as the standard for beauty cannot be ignored, as this was a time of deep racial segregation and inequality. The card serves as a window into the complex layers of identity and power that shaped both the art and the society of that era.