Time is Money / A Drop Too Much, from the Jokes series (N118) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1890 - 1893

Editor: So, this is "Time is Money / A Drop Too Much" made by W. Duke, Sons & Co., sometime between 1890 and 1893. It's a coloured-pencil print, pretty small… and pretty dark. The imagery seems to glorify greed and violence. How do you interpret this work? Curator: This piece, despite its advertisement purpose, offers a sharp critique of the late 19th-century capitalist ethos. It reflects a society grappling with rapid industrialization and its human cost. The phrase "Time is Money" encapsulates the utilitarian philosophy, right? It reduces human existence to economic productivity, a mindset often disregarding ethical considerations. Editor: It feels very…cynical? The imagery is so blunt. Curator: Exactly. The juxtaposition of wealth – that overflowing money bag – and violence raises questions about whose time is being valued and whose is being sacrificed. Note the nod to Canada. How does it contribute to a larger narrative about land, resources, and perhaps, colonial exploitation? Think about the era's obsession with Manifest Destiny. Editor: I hadn’t considered the colonial angle, but that makes sense. So the "A Drop Too Much" scene…is that a comment on justice, perhaps? Or lack thereof? Curator: Precisely. And by presenting it as a "joke," it normalizes violence and reinforces the idea that economic gain justifies any means. What if we see the hanging figure as representative of those marginalized by the relentless pursuit of wealth? Think about race and class in that period. Who benefits? Who suffers? Editor: I never considered it on so many different layers! It’s definitely more unsettling than just “dark”. Thanks for clarifying all this, it has changed how I think about promotional imagery, especially back then! Curator: The intersectional layers in such a seemingly simple piece really reveal how deeply entrenched those values are, and challenges us to resist them even today. Food for thought, indeed!