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

W. Duke, Sons & Co. produced this lithograph, Helena Dacre in Colors of Eastern Yacht Club, at the height of the tobacco card craze. These cards offer us a glimpse into the complex interplay between commerce, leisure, and representation in late 19th-century America. The card features Helena Dacre, presumably a popular actress or model of the time, adorned in the colors of the Eastern Yacht Club. In that era, yachting was a popular sport for wealthy, white men, and it was common to feature women on these promotional cards. The depiction of women, often nameless, in association with these exclusive clubs, underscores the gendered dynamics of the time. These cards existed to promote leisure, but also served as markers of social status and identity, reflecting the racial and economic divides of the time. They raise poignant questions about who was included and who was excluded from the narrative of American leisure and success.