Anchor Line, from the Ocean and River Steamers series (N83) for Duke brand cigarettes 1887

"Anchor Line, from the Ocean and River Steamers series" is a trade card from 1887, printed by W. Duke, Sons & Co., to advertise Duke brand cigarettes. This chromolithograph depicts a young woman in a fur-trimmed coat, wearing a jeweled headband and surrounded by an elaborate rope design, signifying a maritime theme. Below her, the steamship "City of Rome" sails between New York and Liverpool, highlighting the Anchor Line’s transatlantic routes. This card, now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, exemplifies the early use of chromolithography for commercial advertising.