Number 7, Dissolving Card, from the Tricks with Cards series (N138) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1887

"Number 7, Dissolving Card," was created circa 1870-1920 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as a promotional tool for Honest Long Cut Tobacco. The chromolithograph presents a study in contrasts, dividing the image into distinct textural and chromatic zones. Above, the darker plane showcases the conjurer's hands manipulating playing cards, drawing our eye to the illusion. Below, a warm, brown field displays the title in stark, white letters, providing an anchor. To the right, a clock face subtly marks the passage of time, underscoring the fleeting nature of the trick. The composition deftly uses this tension to explore ideas of spectacle and deception. The artist leverages a semiotic system to highlight the cultural codes of magic. Here, the act of making something disappear is not just a trick, but a challenge to our understanding of space and perception. It asks: what is real, and what is merely a construct?