"Keep the pot a boilin" from the Terrors of America set (N136) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1888 - 1889

This advertisement card titled "Keep the pot a boilin," was created by W. Duke, Sons & Co. around the turn of the century, to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco. The composition centers on a young boy energetically ice skating, a scene framed by an ornate border. The decorative details of the frame, with its repetitive patterns and soft hues, contrast sharply with the dynamic energy of the skating scene. The artist uses diagonal lines to convey movement and depth, drawing our eyes from the foreground to the background where we see two more skaters. There’s a palpable sense of forward motion, almost as if the figures are breaking free from the confines of the frame. The subtle use of shading and color gives volume to the figures, but the overall flatness of the picture plane reminds us of its constructed nature. The use of diagonal lines in the image adds a sense of implied movement. The card, though small, encapsulates the cultural and economic energies of its time. It serves not just as an advertisement but as a coded artifact, a sign of the values and aesthetics circulating in society.