W.H.P. Hains, from the Sea Captains series (N127) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1887

This small chromolithograph was printed by W. Duke Sons & Co. in the late nineteenth century as a promotional item for their Honest Long Cut Tobacco. Part of a series depicting sea captains, this card features W.H.P. Hains of the Cunard Line's "Aurania." The image evokes a sense of maritime power and British imperial reach, the red ensign with the lion rampant connects Hains to a broader narrative of trade and exploration. This portrait uses visual cues, like the ship smokestack in the background, and national symbols to construct an image of authority linked to both individual accomplishment and national identity. These cards were designed to circulate widely, tucked into packets of tobacco. The imagery offers a window into the values and aspirations of the time. To understand them better, we might research the history of tobacco advertising, the Cunard Line, and the visual culture of Victorian Britain. The meaning of this small artwork lies as much in its context as in its image.