Losing Time / Every Thing Goes, from the Jokes series (N118) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1890 - 1893

Losing Time / Every Thing Goes’ was printed by W. Duke, Sons & Co. around the turn of the century as an advertisement for Honest Long Cut Tobacco. The card reflects the rise of consumer culture and mass marketing in the late 19th century, but it also prompts a closer look at its social commentary. Through the vignettes, the work presents a narrative about the anxieties of financial instability. The imagery of pawning goods and 'losing time' can be read as a commentary on class and economic vulnerability. How does it feel to witness the depiction of someone else's financial struggles packaged as entertainment? The figures here seem stripped of their dignity, their misfortunes becoming a spectacle for consumers. The card doesn't offer solutions, but it invites us to reflect on the human cost of economic hardship. 'Losing Time / Every Thing Goes' provides insight into the complex interplay between commerce, class, and representation in American society.