Number 21, Clairvoyance, from the Tricks with Cards series (N138) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1887

This is "Number 21, Clairvoyance," a promotional card created around the turn of the century by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco. The composition divides into distinct zones. A performer, sharply rendered, occupies the foreground of the central rectangle, contrasted against a flat yellow background. This man, despite being blindfolded, holds a thin wand, suggesting he is about to perform an act of clairvoyance. The table and the block, likely a stack of cards, are positioned to the left. This division emphasizes the dual role of the card: entertainment and advertisement. The formal structure, a blend of representational imagery and abstract color fields, challenges fixed meanings. The card engages with the period's fascination with spectacle and the burgeoning world of mass media and commercial culture.