An Awful Waste, from the Jokes series (N87) for Duke brand cigarettes 1890

This small chromolithograph, made around 1888 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. for Duke brand cigarettes, uses humor to navigate evolving gender dynamics in late 19th-century America. As part of a series of jokes printed on cigarette cards, this image, titled "An Awful Waste," depicts a petite, seemingly hapless man embracing a significantly larger woman. In an era defined by rigid social roles, anxieties about changing norms were often mediated through caricature and satire. Here, the perceived mismatch in size and implied social status challenges traditional expectations of courtship and power dynamics. The humor derives from a reversal of the conventional male-female pairing, hinting at anxieties about women's increasing independence. The card acted as a collectible, and the image functioned within the culture to reinforce social norms through laughter. Understanding this image requires examining the broader social and economic conditions of the time. Research into popular culture, advertising, and social history can reveal the complexities of gender relations and the ways in which commercial imagery both reflected and shaped cultural attitudes.