Number 5, The Restored Card, from the Tricks with Cards series (N138) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1887

Editor: Here we have "Number 5, The Restored Card," a print dating back to 1887 by W. Duke, Sons & Co., now residing at the Met. I'm immediately struck by its, shall we say, exuberant aesthetic. It looks like something ripped straight from a magician’s poster. How do you interpret this curious concoction? Curator: Exuberant indeed! For me, it’s a portal. Not just into a world of illusion, but into the 19th century mind. These tobacco cards were little explosions of artistry, miniature billboards filled with wonder. The fiery flourish around the card...it’s almost theatrical, a pre-cinema special effect! But look closer: do you see the subtle commentary on consumerism woven within this supposed promotion of tobacco? Editor: Consumerism? I was too busy admiring the dramatically rendered hand holding the restored card aloft. How is consumerism relevant here? Curator: Well, isn’t the "restored" card a metaphor? A promise of wholeness, easily achieved with a little... magic...or perhaps, a purchase? Duke’s tobacco isn't selling just tobacco, it's selling aspiration. It whispers that everything broken can be fixed, perhaps even your humdrum existence, one puff at a time. What do you think of the relationship between illusion and truth here? Editor: That’s fascinating, I hadn’t considered that. So, the card trick itself becomes a commentary. Maybe art can indeed "restore" our perceptions. Curator: Precisely. This little piece has performed its own magic trick on us. I am delighted to discuss art like this with you.