High Lands, from the Jokes series (N87) for Duke brand cigarettes 1890

Editor: So this delightful miniature, "High Lands, from the Jokes series" made around 1890 by W. Duke, Sons & Co., looks like it might be watercolor and coloured pencil on print. It strikes me as so wonderfully odd – a landscape reduced to real estate intrigue. What do you make of it? Curator: Odd indeed! I adore it precisely because it encapsulates a very human foible, doesn't it? This little fellow, meticulously examining what is probably a rather mundane plot of land with his magnifying glass...it’s the height of comedic scrutiny. Tell me, does the high price seem absurd given what you see? Editor: Absolutely! The price makes it even funnier, almost a parody of the land speculation of the time? Or maybe always? Curator: Exactly. These small cigarette cards weren't just collectibles; they offered miniature glimpses into aspirational lifestyles, even satire. See how the artist renders the trees and the distant building; it suggests affluence. Then he plunks the eager real estate buff down to magnify its worth! Is that genius, or genius? Editor: It is quite something. I'd never considered how even promotional art could offer social commentary like this! Thanks, that gives me so much to think about. Curator: My pleasure. Always keep your monocle trained, young scholar! There are stories within stories in every piece, no matter the scale!