Puzzle Card Number 10, The "Overlap" Puzzle, from the Jokes series (N118) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1887 - 1891

This is “Puzzle Card Number 10, The "Overlap" Puzzle,” a lithograph from the 1880s by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as part of a series promoting Honest Long Cut Tobacco. Consider the public role of art. This puzzle card served as a collectible advertisement inserted in tobacco packs. The puzzle itself, an arrangement of overlapping words, was designed to entertain and engage consumers, fostering brand loyalty. But it's more than just an innocent game. It reflects the burgeoning advertising industry of the late 19th century, a period marked by the rise of mass production and consumer culture. Tobacco companies like Duke were pioneers in using promotional items to build brand recognition and increase sales. To understand the puzzle’s cultural impact, we can look at trade publications, advertising ephemera, and business records from the time. We can reflect on art’s role in shaping consumer behavior and its entanglement with capitalism.