Five Clubs (black), from the Playing Cards series (N84) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888

Editor: So, here we have "Five Clubs" created around 1888 by W. Duke, Sons & Co., part of their Playing Cards series and initially designed for Duke brand cigarettes. It’s a graphic art print. I find its simplicity striking, yet there’s something very iconic about it. What layers do you see within such a straightforward design? Curator: This unassuming playing card holds more than meets the eye. The club symbol, a stylized trefoil, carries a fascinating weight. Consider its possible origins, maybe a weapon, the club itself, or the clover, symbolizing luck and growth. Back then, clubs as a suit could denote the peasant class. This card offered with cigarettes… what image of luck or social aspiration was it meant to convey? Editor: That's a really interesting point. It does make me wonder how the context of distribution influences our perception. Did the public at the time associate the club only with luck or were they thinking about its darker potential? Curator: It's precisely this interplay that fascinates me. Consider the rise of industrial society at the time, what sort of visual language resonated with new consumers? How was that continuity achieved, blending folk symbol and commercial purpose? Cigarettes were for everyone... Were these cards like miniature talismans? Editor: Mini talismans for a modern age! It makes you wonder about all the layers we assign to these types of everyday images and objects. Curator: Yes! A seemingly simple card holds a microcosm of culture. I see visual elements everywhere that offer insights into societal hopes and anxieties of a moment.