Hamilton Perry, from the Sea Captains series (N127) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1887

This is a promotional card for Honest Long Cut Tobacco, part of the Sea Captains series issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. The card’s composition presents Hamilton Perry in a formal portrait against a backdrop of maritime symbols: a ship, binoculars, and ribbon. Note how the artist contrasts the soft, rounded forms of Perry’s face and beard with the sharp, geometric shapes of the ship and binoculars. The interplay between these elements suggests a tension between individual identity and commercial representation. Perry’s portrait, rendered with careful attention to detail, is juxtaposed with the stylized, almost abstract, symbols of seafaring. This juxtaposition highlights how individual personas were being commodified and circulated as part of broader advertising strategies. Consider how the card functions as a semiotic system, where each element—the portrait, the maritime symbols, and the tobacco brand—contributes to the construction of meaning and value.