Business is Dull but He Can't Kick, from the Jokes series (N87) for Duke brand cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 1890s advertising with *Business is Dull but He Kick*, a cheeky entry from the Jokes seriesN87) produced by W. Duke, Sons &. in collaboration with George S. & Sons. This diminutive commercial color lithograph, measuring just 2 /4 × 1 1/2 inches, was designed as a collectible insert for Duke brand cigarettes. Tobacco giants like Duke pioneered these trade cards to boost brand loyalty, transforming everyday purchases into a treasure hunt for humorous illustrations that captured the era's lighthearted wit. Chromolithography, the medium here, was a breakthrough technique allowing vivid, multi-color prints at scale—perfect for mass-market ephemera. These cards blended commercial savvy with accessible artistry, reflecting the Gilded Age's booming consumer culture and the rise of cigarette collecting as a popular pastime. Duke's innovative series helped popularize the format, influencing modern trading cards. Today, preserved in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this print offers a window into late-19th-century humor and marketing ingenuity. A playful nod to business woes, it reminds us how even "dull" times sparked creativity in promotion. (198 words)

About the Artist

W. Duke, Sons & Co.|George S. Harris & Sons · 1870–1920

**W. Duke, Sons & Co.: Pioneers of Chromolithographic Trade Card Art** W. Duke, Sons & Co., an American tobacco manufacturer, emerged from the entrepreneurial vision of Washington Duke (1820–1905) and his sons in Durham, North Carolina. After the Civil War, Washington abandoned farming in 1874 to join his eldest son, Brodie L. Duke, in the burgeoning tobacco trade, establishing a factory that for...