A Short History: Rear-Admiral Raphael Semmes, from the Histories of Generals series (N114) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Smoking and Chewing Tobacco 1888

This late 19th-century chromolithograph, produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as a tobacco card, presents a structured composition of fragmented scenes. It is a structured montage of image and text where form dictates function. The card is visually divided into distinct sections each containing different elements: a portrait, textual information, decorative patterns, and an action scene. Note the flat, graphic quality of the images, typical of commercial printing at the time. The portrait is rendered with attention to detail, while the surrounding elements are more stylized. Here, the visual elements create a semiotic system where each image and text contribute to the overall message, both commemorating a historical figure and advertising a product. The patterns, while decorative, also act as visual cues to draw the viewer's eye and frame the central images. The card's design reflects the cultural values and commercial strategies of its time, where art was integrated into everyday objects to convey messages and shape public perception. These designs leave room for ongoing interpretation as we reconsider how commercial imagery influences our understanding of history and identity.