Life of Charles Stewart Parnell, from the Histories of Poor Boys and Famous People series of booklets (N79) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888

This small booklet, "Life of Charles Stewart Parnell," was part of a series made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to be included with Duke brand cigarettes around the turn of the 20th century. These booklets were meant to be collected, and they offer a fascinating glimpse into the values and aspirations of the time. Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish nationalist politician who fought for Irish Home Rule, an identity issue, within the British political system. Parnell's Protestant background often complicated his relationship with the predominantly Catholic Irish population, which he nonetheless sought to represent. These booklets reflect a moment when celebrity and commerce intersected, and when the stories we tell about prominent figures became commodities themselves. Consider how the legacy of a political figure becomes intertwined with consumer culture and the narratives of success and identity that are being sold. How might this complicate or enhance his legacy today?