Monopole Tobacco Works

Monopole Tobacco Works functioned primarily as an issuer and distributor of commercial advertising prints, with documented activity centered around 1902. The organization produced collectible trade cards and promotional materials intended to market its tobacco products.

The principal documented artistic output associated with Monopole Tobacco Works is the Little Egypt Actresses series (T2), a sequence of prints issued to promote Khedive Egyptian Cigarettes. Records indicate that this series comprises at least twelve individual plates, including documented works such as Plate 1, Plate 2, Plate 10, Plate 11, and Plate 12.

Twelve prints issued by Monopole Tobacco Works are represented in major museum collections, confirming the historical significance of these commercial objects. The highest concentration of these surviving works is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Today, these historically relevant items are frequently accessed as downloadable artwork, providing the basis for high-quality prints derived from the original promotional pieces. The existence of Monopole Tobacco Works prints within such prestigious collections establishes their lasting relevance to studies of early 20th-century American commercial lithography and advertising.