Full Rigged Ship, from the Types of Vessels series (N139) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1889

This small, color lithograph of a ship was produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. between 1870 and 1920, as a promotional item for their Honest Long Cut Tobacco. The image is printed on thin card, then die-cut to shape. Lithography, a printing technique using a flat stone or metal plate, was ideal for mass production. This allowed Duke Sons & Co. to create thousands of these cards, inserting them into tobacco packages to boost sales. The detailed rendering of the ship, from its hull to its complex rigging, speaks to the skilled labor involved in both shipbuilding and the printing process. These cards, while seemingly simple, were part of a much larger phenomenon. They fueled consumer culture and advertising through the proliferation of images. Examining this lithograph, we can appreciate the artistry and craft involved, while also considering its place in the history of marketing, labor, and mass production.