Sound Steamer, from the Types of Vessels series (N139) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1889

Editor: Here we have "Sound Steamer" created around 1889 by W. Duke, Sons & Co., it's a print with watercolor and drawing, originally a promotional item. I'm immediately drawn to the folk-art style and the idealized portrayal of maritime travel. How do we interpret this today? Curator: It's fascinating how these promotional prints, like this one for Honest Long Cut Tobacco, offer a glimpse into the cultural aspirations of the late 19th century. How did Duke Sons & Co. strategically leverage such imagery? Editor: So, they're using this image of the ship as some kind of signifier of success or aspiration, hoping to link it to tobacco? Curator: Precisely. The steamship, a marvel of technology at the time, embodied progress, connectivity, and even leisure. This image would have appealed to the consumer's desire to be part of that modern world. We see visual elements reminiscent of Ukiyo-e prints here too— the flattened perspective, the bold lines and the subject matter celebrating popular culture, which raises interesting questions about cross-cultural influences in commercial art. Do you think the targeted demographic might have noticed this reference? Editor: Probably not directly, but perhaps they subconsciously connected it to other familiar images? That also speaks to accessibility, right? It makes the art, and by extension, the product, feel approachable. Curator: Exactly. It makes you think about the democratization of art through advertising and how this seemingly simple image operated within a larger network of socio-economic relationships. Editor: It really shows how even a small commercial piece can tell you so much about a specific time and culture. Curator: Indeed. Thinking about how the politics of imagery are really a study of popular desire is key here, even today.