The Colored Race / Cold Comfort, from the Jokes series (N118) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1890 - 1893

This small advertising card, made by W. Duke, Sons & Co., around the turn of the 20th century, was a promotional item for Honest Long Cut Tobacco. "The Colored Race / Cold Comfort," is a stark example of the racist imagery prevalent in American advertising at the time. These images, common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, reflect and perpetuate deeply ingrained stereotypes. The figures are caricatured, their features exaggerated to dehumanize and ridicule. Consider how these images would have been viewed and consumed. The juxtaposition of the figures with the advertisement suggests that these images, and therefore the people they depict, are commodities. The figures evoke emotional responses, from discomfort to anger, as it reveals the cruelty of the advertisement. The card serves as a chilling reminder of the pervasiveness of racism in American history and the ways in which it was normalized through everyday objects. It challenges us to confront this painful history and consider the ongoing impact of these representations.