Paul Jones, from the series Great Americans (N76) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888

Here we see a collectible card of Paul Jones made by W. Duke, Sons & Co., sometime between 1870 and 1920, as part of a series called “Great Americans” used to sell Duke brand cigarettes. The company's claim to be the "largest cigarette manufacturers in the world" speaks volumes about the booming tobacco industry and its links to American identity at the time. Jones, a Scottish-American sailor who fought with the US during the Revolutionary War, is idealized here, a far cry from the complicated realities of the war. The flag in the background, the proud ships, and the subject’s gaze all create an image of heroic patriotism, while conveniently overlooking the brutal realities of colonization and the enslavement of African people upon which the wealth of this nation, and companies like Duke, were built. This card then is less about the real Paul Jones, and more about a carefully curated narrative of American greatness sold to consumers one cigarette pack at a time.