Lillian Blow in Colors of Royal Sail Yacht Club, from the Yacht Colors of the World series (N140) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1890

Duke Sons & Co. produced this small color lithograph card around the turn of the century to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco. The composition is neatly arranged, framing a young woman in a sailor-style outfit with nautical flags and symbols. The color palette is dominated by soft pastels, with primary accents of red drawing the eye to the hat and the bow at the neck. The artist has used line and color to create a sense of depth, positioning the woman against a slightly darker background. The card is designed with symmetry, the title is placed centrally beneath her portrait. The image is bracketed by stylized nautical elements. The flags, which are a repeating motif, are also a semiotic device referring to the iconography of yachting and nautical clubs. These clubs, emblems of upper-class leisure, are directly referenced in the inscription. The image functions as both a decorative item and an advertisement. The card can be understood through its commodification of social status and leisure.