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

This small promotional card for tobacco made around 1900 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. presents an allegorical vision of the state of Tennessee. It’s one of a series that uses a female figure to embody each state. Here, she leans on a shield that symbolizes Tennessee's economic activities – agriculture and commerce. The image and its context provide a fascinating glimpse into the cultural and economic landscape of the time, with its emphasis on agriculture, particularly cotton and tobacco, which were key to the Southern economy. The institutional history of tobacco companies like Duke Sons & Co. is also central to understanding this artwork. For historians, images like this become primary documents. We can look at how this image was consumed, how it reflected social and economic values, and how it contributed to the broader narrative of American identity at the turn of the century.