Life of John Wanamaker, from the Histories of Poor Boys and Famous People series of booklets (N79) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888

This small, chromolithographic card from around 1900 by W. Duke, Sons & Co., was once included in packets of Duke brand cigarettes, and is one of a series called ‘Histories of Poor Boys and Famous People.’ The portrait of John Wanamaker, the future Postmaster General, tells a story of upward mobility, part of a wider cultural interest in celebrating the self-made man. This was a period of rapid industrial expansion in the United States. The image creates meaning through its specific cultural references, such as Wanamaker’s connection to the U.S. Post Office Department. By focusing on individuals who had risen from humble beginnings, the series encouraged consumers to buy into an optimistic vision of American life. Such mass-produced imagery played a crucial role in shaping perceptions of social mobility during this transformative era. Historians use diverse archival resources such as trade catalogs, advertising ephemera, and business records, to further illuminate the social conditions that shaped the production and reception of these images.