Number 24, Metempsychosis, from the Tricks with Cards series (N138) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1887

Curator: Isn't this captivating? Here we have "Number 24, Metempsychosis," a piece hailing from 1887 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. It's actually a print, part of the "Tricks with Cards" series designed to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco. Editor: My word, what a delightful bit of whimsy! It’s like peering into a stage magician's daydream, with its art nouveau sensibilities and its colour-penciled magician conjuring birds out of thin air... a narrative ripe for the picking! Curator: Precisely. These trade cards were, of course, commercial objects distributed to boost tobacco sales. However, it is interesting how they also provided a glimpse into the popular imagination, particularly concerning entertainment and the burgeoning interest in magical illusions at that time. It suggests that Honest Long Cut was attempting to position itself as purveyor of something special—a little bit of everyday magic. Editor: Everyday magic, yes! The composition, despite its commercial function, speaks volumes. The slight of hand, the focused gesture… it feels… hopeful. And look at how the colours dance—they’re not quite realistic, but they hum with potential. What do you think he might materialize, from our humdrum reality? A new dream? A wish fulfilled? Curator: One could argue that the means of production here – printmaking, colored pencil drawing – cheap yet decorative methods – reflect both the widespread consumption patterns and social status connected to tobacco usage. The 'trick' itself is a symbolic promise mirroring consumer culture. Editor: I can almost smell the sweet scent of pipe tobacco now, hanging in the air along with anticipation... You are quite right! Every consumer is expecting, yearning, some transformation. Curator: Yes. It demonstrates that beyond its aesthetic charm lies the heart of marketing and sales strategy deeply linked with societal beliefs. Editor: In the end, that intersection, between belief, desire and object… is, I suppose…its own magic.