A Short History of General Don Carlos Buell, from the Histories of Generals series of booklets (N78) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888

This small printed booklet, dating to around 1900, was made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as a promotional item for their brand of cigarettes. It belongs to a series called ‘Histories of Generals’. The chromolithographic printing process used to create this booklet was a cutting-edge technology at the time, allowing for mass production of colorful images. This technique involved creating a series of lithographic stones or plates, each inked with a different color, and then successively printing them on a single sheet of paper. The resulting image has a distinct visual quality, with vibrant colors and a slightly textured surface. Booklets like these were essentially cheap to produce, and played a key role in the rise of mass consumer culture. They speak to the way in which images and information were being commodified and circulated at the turn of the century, blurring the boundaries between commerce, culture, and even history. By considering the materials, the making, and its place in wider social and historical narratives, we gain a deeper understanding of this small printed booklet, and its value as an artifact.