Life of President Benjamin Harrison, from the Histories of Poor Boys and Famous People series of booklets (N79) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888

This small booklet, one of many from the Duke cigarette company, dates to around 1900. It was made using industrialized printing techniques, including chromolithography. The portrait of President Harrison is rendered with a high degree of naturalism, designed to appeal to a mass audience. The booklet is made of thin, inexpensive paper, a byproduct of the industrial revolution. It was printed on a machine, likely by workers in a factory setting. The images were reproduced using lithography, a process that allows for mass production of images. The result is a collectible that could be widely distributed, tucked into packs of cigarettes, and easily consumed. These were not traditional art materials, but industrial materials used to create a collectible, encouraging brand loyalty among consumers of tobacco. What seems like a humble artifact is actually a sophisticated device of capitalism. It shows us how images could be linked to wider issues of labor, politics, and consumption. By considering the materials and processes involved, we can better understand the cultural work it performs.