One Good Turn Deserves Another / Bracing Up, from the Jokes series (N118) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1890 - 1893

Editor: Here we have "One Good Turn Deserves Another/ Bracing Up," a promotional print made between 1890 and 1893 for Honest Long Cut Tobacco by W. Duke, Sons & Co. The scenes, rendered in colored pencil and watercolor, seem to capture small moments of mischief. What is your reading of this playful little piece? Curator: Playful indeed! I'm immediately struck by the storytelling within this small format. It's almost a proto-comic strip. And think about it – this was meant to be casually distributed with tobacco. Talk about accessible art! But what stories do *you* see unfolding, beyond the obvious prank? Editor: I notice that it depicts a series of actions –one of men pulling pranks – seemingly linked by cause and effect. There’s also a sense of exaggerated caricature. Curator: Absolutely. That caricature speaks volumes. It was a period when printed images were exploding, reaching mass audiences. This type of exaggerated character, like those in Ukiyo-e prints from Japan, captured attention and became a form of visual shorthand. The 'Bracing Up' title makes me wonder – is this just simple humor or something more, a commentary on resilience or…well, on needing a ‘bracing up’? Do you think there is something to be 'read' beyond the simple joke? Editor: That's an interesting point; maybe there *is* a deeper layer! The second panel certainly evokes themes of labour and aging. I never considered how tobacco advertisements could also double as social commentaries. Curator: These little images, seemingly disposable, offer us a surprising window into the cultural attitudes and even anxieties of their time. It makes you realize that even something as small as a tobacco card can have a story to tell. What a world, eh? Editor: Definitely! I'll never look at old ads the same way again. Thank you for the insightful journey.