Steamship New York, Albany "Day" Line, from the Ocean and River Steamers series (N83) for Duke brand cigarettes 1887

This chromolithograph of the Steamship New York, Albany "Day" Line, was created around the turn of the century by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as a cigarette card. The composition is divided, juxtaposing the industrial with the idyllic. On one side, we see the detailed depiction of the steamship itself, rendered with a precise attention to its architectural features, the billowing smoke and flags suggesting a blend of commerce and national pride. This contrasts with the allegorical portrait of a woman, framed by floral motifs, which evokes a sense of pastoral beauty. The image is a complex arrangement of signs, symbols, and cultural codes that seem to reflect the optimism and dynamism of a rapidly industrializing America. The card not only promotes a product, but also an idea: one where industry and nature exist in romantic harmony. The image also has a sense of irony. The American flag is superimposed on the Albany day line, suggesting it is as natural as the woman's head framed by flowers, which could be read as artifice or propaganda.