I’ve lived in Durham for 20 years, yet I hadn’t been to Duke Homestead until this past weekend. The site was owned by Washington Duke, who built the Dukes’ tobacco empire, and has been declared a National Historic Landmark and a state historic location. The site has five preserved buildings — including the main house where the Dukes lived — and a museum focusing on tobacco farming and processing and the history of tobacco. The buildings are about what you expect from old buildings. If you take the free group tour, you’ll get to go inside a couple of them, though most of the artifacts in the main house were not actual pieces used by the Dukes.

Which one of Marge Simpson’s sisters is she supposed to be?

The museum is a more interesting attraction. It has several exhibits that demonstrate steps in tobacco farming and processing scenes with mannequins. The most striking one was a scene where two factory workers were packing cigarettes. The expressions on their faces, particularly the woman’s (right), look so droll and tired. Ironically, this exhibit probably works better as an anti-tobacco display.

The museum has some displays showing historical statements against using tobacco, but at the same time, it never delves into the harmful effects of tobacco use. Instead, it’s filled with old advertisements for tobacco products. There is even an old TV set rigged to play cigarette commercials, including one in which a “tobaccoland reporter” goes to interview a tobacco farmer for his expert take on the quality of tobacco used in a certain brand of cigarettes. There is also a photo gallery of tobacco farming, with a statement from the artist talking about how this is a rapidly vanishing way of life, and an exhibit displaying all the good causes that the tobacco industry has given money to, such as hospitals, schools, etc.

All in all, the museum feels a bit heavy on propaganda. It’s not necessarily promoting tobacco use, but it certainly stays clear of any real criticism of the industry and the ill effects of using tobacco. It’s still an interesting sight nonetheless and worth a trip (especially since it’s free) to see the Patty and Selma-like mannequins.