Caricatured figures / Bright's Disease / A Minstrel's Lay, from the Jokes series (N118) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1890 - 1893

This chromolithograph, made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. between 1870 and 1920, was printed to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco. Produced through a method where each color is printed separately from a stone or metal plate, chromolithography allowed for mass production and dissemination of images. The card presents two caricatured figures alongside text, a banjo, and a diamond. The garish style relies on harmful stereotypes, commodifying racial identity for commercial gain. These small cards were inserted into tobacco packages, incentivizing repeated purchase. The images printed on these cards were designed to be collected. The fact that these images were produced and distributed to a mass audience reflects the rapid industrialization and expansion of consumer culture during the late 19th century. While seemingly innocuous, chromolithographs like these perpetuated harmful stereotypes and normalized racist imagery in everyday life. They remind us of the role that the decorative arts played in shaping cultural attitudes.