Caricatured figure / A Regular Corker, from the Jokes series (N87) for Duke brand cigarettes 1890

This small lithograph, "A Regular Corker," was created around 1888 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as part of a series of joke cards for Duke brand cigarettes. The composition is dominated by a caricatured figure in profile, rendered with exaggerated features and a palpable sense of irony. Note how the artist uses caricature to challenge established notions of beauty and refinement. The exaggerated nose and wide grin, coupled with the figure’s formal attire, create a tension between the subject's appearance and their presumed social standing. The man looks through a cigar as if it were an eyeglass, perhaps mocking the rituals of the upper class. The interplay of these visual signs suggests a critique of social values, using humor as a tool to deconstruct and destabilize the established norms of the time. The figure’s gaze, mediated by the cigar, implies a commentary on perception and perspective. The card, though small, serves as a cultural mirror, reflecting and distorting the values of its era.