Benjamin Franklin, from the series Great Americans (N76) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888

This is a collectible card of Benjamin Franklin, part of the "Great Americans" series, produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co., a tobacco company, sometime between 1870 and 1920. The image appears to celebrate Franklin's contributions to science, with a kite and key symbolizing his famous electricity experiment. However, these cards were essentially marketing tools, designed to promote cigarette consumption. The phrase printed at the bottom of the card states “The largest cigarette manufacturer in the world.” It encourages us to consider the complex relationship between commerce, nationalism, and hero worship. Who gets remembered, how, and why? This card reflects early advertising strategies which used cultural and historical figures to lend credibility to commercial products. How does this influence our perception of historical figures like Franklin, and what does it say about the values of the society that produced and consumed these images? The card becomes a lens through which to examine the construction of American identity.