Maryland, from the Industries of States series (N117) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1889

Editor: So this piece is titled "Maryland, from the Industries of States series" and was made around 1889 by W. Duke, Sons & Co.. It's this little coloured-pencil print that's got a goddess-like figure posing with a shield. Honestly, my first thought is "classic allegory, but make it tobacco!" What are your thoughts when you look at it? Curator: Ah, yes! These trade cards were such quirky relics of their time, weren't they? For me, this image conjures up that Gilded Age ambition and a bit of its… shall we say… imaginative marketing. I always think it’s funny to consider how industries saw themselves, wrapping themselves in classical robes and symbols! But, there is an underlying confidence as well, no? What is it about her specific pose that makes you feel? Editor: Confidence, definitely! She's sort of lounging, but like... guarding the state shield. I'm guessing that laurel wreath she’s holding and that slightly intimidating headpiece she's wearing also help drive that "authority" theme. Curator: Precisely! And the shield—take a closer peek. You’ll see two men and the Calvert family crest of Maryland, along with symbolic colors of red, white, gold, and black to give a deeper feeling of heritage. The print isn't just selling tobacco; it’s selling an idea of Maryland, of prosperity, and of this ideal rooted in old traditions but leaning toward an industrialized future represented by figures working on industry in the background! Editor: Wow, I didn't even catch those background figures until you mentioned them! It does read like a confidence bordering on hubris! Looking at it again, the woman is almost… burdened by this image? The composition, the shield, all those expectations? Curator: It's like she’s the embodiment of the state’s aspirations, pinned down under this weight of industry. Editor: Okay, I definitely see that tension now, which I would’ve completely missed! This print has become so much more interesting! Curator: It's all about perspective! The past whispers secrets if we are curious enough to hear!