Jack of Hearts, from Harlequin Cards, 2nd Series (N220) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889

This is Jack of Hearts, a Harlequin card printed by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as part of a series dating back to the late 19th century. These cards were originally included in cigarette packs as a marketing strategy. At the time, printed ephemera like this reflected and shaped societal values. We can read the card’s imagery as both maintaining and creating a social order. The Jack figure, with his exaggerated features, sings and plays instruments adorned with hearts, embodying a romanticized, almost caricatured, view of the performing class. His open mouth is particularly striking. Consider how the commodification of culture through tobacco marketing intersects with class and identity. What emotional associations did these images evoke for consumers? While seemingly a harmless collectible, the card also tells a story about how consumerism can perpetuate stereotypes, and speaks to the emotional economies of desire and belonging that advertising relies upon.