A Bare Chance / Business is Dull But He Can't Kick, from the Jokes series (N118) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1890 - 1893

This promotional card for Honest Long Cut Tobacco, made around 1888 by W. Duke Sons & Co, presents a jarring juxtaposition of misfortune. The most striking symbol is the crutch, appearing both functional, held by the injured man, and discarded in the background. The crutch, historically a symbol of support and recovery, takes on a complex meaning here. It speaks of healing, but also of lingering incapacity. In ancient times, similar staffs were associated with pilgrimage. Think of the traveler seeking enlightenment, each step of the journey is marked by the staff, a symbol of persistence. Yet, here, the injured man's inability to 'kick' suggests a break in his journey, a disruption to his goals. Such images engage our subconscious, tapping into collective anxieties about thwarted ambition and the unpredictability of fate. The motif of the crutch persists, a cyclical reminder of human frailty.