Rushing the Growler / A Full Hand, from the Jokes series (N118) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1890 - 1893

This small lithograph was created by W. Duke, Sons & Co. around 1888 as a promotional item for Honest Long Cut Tobacco. The material is paper, but its surface has been treated in such a way that the colours really pop out – a key feature of chromolithography. This was a relatively new technology in the late nineteenth century, capable of churning out images at an extraordinary rate. The process involved using multiple lithographic stones, one for each colour, which could then be layered up to achieve a rich, photographic effect. Here, we see it used to depict the idealized working man. Look at the detail of the man’s garb, and the tools he carries: images like these played an important role in the branding of consumer goods, promising a certain kind of authenticity. It’s worth remembering that lithography involved many skilled tradespeople, working long hours to feed the booming advertising industry. This gives an interesting undertone to this image of a happy man rushing to get a beer, which speaks of simple pleasures. This card reminds us of the complex relationship between consumer culture, industrial production, and the romanticizing of labor.