Goldfish, from the series Fishers and Fish (N74) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888

This small chromolithograph was made by Knapp & Company for Duke brand cigarettes. Printed in full colour, this image, along with others in the series, would have been collected and traded as promotional items. Chromolithography was a complex printmaking process, capable of producing vibrant images at scale. The image was separated into different colours, with each colour applied to a separate lithographic stone, then printed in succession. This process allowed for the mass production of colorful images, making art accessible to a broader audience and helping to fuel the advertising industry. Consider the social context of this image. It was created for a tobacco company, part of a consumer culture that was rapidly expanding at the time. While the image itself might seem innocuous, it is important to understand its role in promoting a product that had significant health consequences. These cards exemplify how printing techniques served commerce and consumerism, and invite us to consider the amount of work involved in their production, alongside the social impact of their circulation.