Lillian Russell in Colors of Manhattan Yacht Club, from the Yacht Colors of the World series (N140) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1890

This chromolithograph from around 1870, by W. Duke, Sons & Co., presents Lillian Russell amidst symbols of the Manhattan Yacht Club. The composition balances Russell’s portrait with nautical elements, creating a symmetry framed by the silhouettes of ship masts. Note how the visual structure reflects the cultural values of the time, using Russell, a famous actress, to embody the Yacht Club's image. The strategic placement of colors—the blue of the beret, the red of the ribbons, and the gold of the stars—draws the eye. Semiotically, each element functions as a signifier: Russell represents beauty and fame, the yacht club symbolizes exclusivity and leisure, and the colors denote the club's identity. The print’s distribution as a promotional item challenges traditional boundaries between art and advertising. Consider how the formal arrangement and symbolic language in this small card encapsulates broader themes of identity, status, and representation in late 19th-century America. These elements together ask us to examine how cultural meanings are constructed through art and commerce.