J. M. Balmaceda, President of Chili, from the Rulers, Flags, and Coats of Arms series (N126-1) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co.

J. M. Balmaceda, President of Chili, from the Rulers, Flags, and Coats of Arms series (N126-1) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co.

W. Duke, Sons & Co.

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Trade cards from the "Rulers, Flags, and Coats of Arms" series (N126-1), issued in 1888 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. There are two types of cards from the series. The first type, pictured here, is made of thick stock and does not fold. This variation promotes Honest Long Cut tobacco. The second type is printed on thinner stock and is meant to be folded in three parts. This variation promotes Duke's Cigarettes, Cameo, and Turkish Cross-Cut brands.

Drawings and Prints

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

J. M. Balmaceda, President of Chili, from the Rulers, Flags, and Coats of Arms series (N126-1) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co.J. M. Balmaceda, President of Chili, from the Rulers, Flags, and Coats of Arms series (N126-1) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co.J. M. Balmaceda, President of Chili, from the Rulers, Flags, and Coats of Arms series (N126-1) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co.J. M. Balmaceda, President of Chili, from the Rulers, Flags, and Coats of Arms series (N126-1) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co.J. M. Balmaceda, President of Chili, from the Rulers, Flags, and Coats of Arms series (N126-1) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co.

The Department’s vast collection of works on paper comprises approximately 21,000 drawings, 1.2 million prints, and 12,000 illustrated books created in Europe and the Americas from about 1400 to the present day. Since its foundation in 1916, the Department has been committed to collecting a wide range of works on paper, which includes both pieces that are incredibly rare and lauded for their aesthetic appeal, as well as material that is more popular, functional, and ephemeral. The broad scope of the department’s collecting encourages questions of connoisseurship as well as those pertaining to function and context, and demonstrates the vital role that prints, drawings, and illustrated books have played throughout history.