Playing Buffalo Bill, "Just see me lassoo the dude," from the Terrors of America set (N136) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1888 - 1889

This chromolithograph, made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. in the late 19th century, was created to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco. Chromolithography, a color printing technique, allowed mass production of images like this one. Consider how the industrialization of printmaking democratized art, making it accessible to a wider audience beyond the elite. This card, part of the "Terrors of America" set, shows a boy playing Buffalo Bill, lasso in hand. It's a snapshot of how popular culture, in this case the Wild West, was consumed and reenacted in everyday life. The medium itself—a mass-produced card—speaks to the rise of consumer culture and the use of nostalgia to sell products. This wasn't high art; it was a commercial item, yet it reflects the aesthetics and social values of its time. Appreciating its materials and context challenges our notions of what constitutes art and who it's for.