Race Rock, from the Lighthouses series (N119) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1889

This small card depicting the Race Rock lighthouse was printed by Duke Sons & Co., sometime between 1870 and 1920. It's a lithograph, a printing technique that allows for mass production through the use of flat stones or metal plates. The image itself shows the lighthouse as a sturdy, dependable structure, rendered with careful detail that would have reassured ships and their cargo. The lithographic process allowed for the creation of numerous nearly identical images, which were then included in packages of Honest Long Cut Tobacco. This was a common marketing tactic at the time, linking the imagery with the consumption of tobacco. In its own way, this card challenges conventional distinctions between art and commerce. It also encapsulates a moment in time when advertising and art intertwined, reflecting the rise of consumer culture.