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

This ‘Tug Boat, Head On’ card was printed by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco around the turn of the 20th century. It's a chromolithograph, meaning it was made with multiple lithographic stones, each inked with a different color. The process allowed manufacturers to cheaply distribute images with a remarkable richness of tone. This card would have been one of many inserted in packets of tobacco, incentivizing repeated purchases and brand loyalty. Note the careful layering of hues to evoke the rough texture of the tugboat’s hull, the churning water, and the patriotic American flag billowing in the smoke. The image romanticizes industrial power and maritime labor, showing a ‘working vessel’ as an emblem of national pride. These promotional cards blur the boundaries between art, advertising, and ephemera. They remind us that many images we consume daily are deeply embedded in the machinery of commerce.