Bassoon and Clarinet, from the Musical Instruments series (N121) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1888

This colorful chromolithograph from 1888 depicts two women, each playing a musical instrument, a bassoon and a clarinet, with a stylized pipe organ behind them. The image is part of a series of cards produced by the W. Duke, Sons & Co. tobacco company to promote their Honest Long Cut Tobacco. The design, which combines a charming, whimsical style with a clear advertising message, suggests a link between music and enjoyment, perhaps alluding to the pleasures of smoking. This piece represents a form of trade card advertising, a popular form of marketing in the 19th century.