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

Editor: This is "Hopscotch, from the Jokes series (N87) for Duke brand cigarettes," created around 1890. It appears to be a print using coloured pencils, and the overall feel is...whimsical. The figure seems to be a caricature. What cultural meanings can you unpack from this little image? Curator: Immediately, I’m drawn to the distorted proportions and the vibrancy of the colours; it is a caricature in the sense of making a specific image iconic. Think about it: why use a Scottish figure for a cigarette card? It presents the stereotype of carefree festivity, linking pleasure to Scottish identity. Are we meant to laugh with him or at him, I wonder? Editor: That's a fascinating point. The exaggerated features and vibrant tartan *do* play into a specific stereotype. I hadn't considered the marketing aspect so directly. Curator: Exactly! The symbolism isn't accidental. The clothing is key. What does the kilt, the tartan, the sporran signify in the popular imagination of the time? A kind of rebellious otherness? It invites the smoker into an escape – to participate vicariously. And the hopscotch itself implies youthfulness. Editor: So, the card uses the Scottish image to evoke feelings of lightheartedness, freedom, and perhaps even a bit of playful rebellion, all tied to the Duke cigarette brand? Curator: Precisely. Symbols don't exist in a vacuum. They gain power from cultural memory and, in this case, strategic application. A playful connection we see continue to this day. Editor: I’ll definitely be thinking about how cultural symbols are used to build a commercial narrative after this! Curator: It’s incredible what even the smallest image can tell us about the culture of the time and the marketing messages employed, isn't it?