Governor Richardson, South Carolina, from "Governors, Arms, Etc." series (N133-2), issued by Duke Sons & Co. 1885 - 1892

This chromolithograph of Governor Richardson of South Carolina, issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co., presents us with a tripartite composition, each panel a distinct visual and symbolic field. The panels are unified by a palette of muted browns and creams. This imbues the image with a sense of aged formality, typical of commercial ephemera of this period. The central panel features a portrait of Richardson, framed simply to emphasize his profile. Flanking him are panels containing the South Carolina coat of arms and a depiction of the State House. This arrangement creates a semiotic interplay, where Richardson is positioned between symbols of state authority and identity. The choice of chromolithography, a mass-production printing technique, introduces another layer of meaning. It democratizes representation, making imagery accessible, while subtly reinforcing the commercial agenda of Duke cigarettes through the advertisement at the base. This tension between civic representation and commercial promotion invites us to consider the artwork as a complex cultural artifact.