Bertha Ricci in Colors of Royal Belgian Yacht Club, from the Yacht Colors of the World series (N140) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1890

W. Duke, Sons & Co. created this chromolithograph trading card to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco. These cards were a clever marketing strategy that offered consumers something extra, while also subtly associating their brand with notions of luxury and leisure. This card features Bertha Ricci, seemingly a woman of some social standing given her attire and the association with the Royal Belgian Yacht Club. Yet, it's worth pondering what it meant for a woman to be featured in such a context. Was this an attempt to appeal to female consumers, or to project an image of sophistication? What's compelling is the tension between the overt display of wealth and status, and the unacknowledged labor that made such leisure possible. The card invites us to reflect on the complex relationship between representation, identity, and the commodification of culture. What is revealed, and what is concealed, in this carefully constructed image?