On the Way to the Station, from the Snapshots from "Puck" series (N128) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1888

W. Duke, Sons & Co. created this promotional snapshot for Honest Long Cut Tobacco around the turn of the century, a time of shifting social mores and burgeoning industrialization. The illustration depicts a couple in a carriage, mistaken for newlyweds. The humor derives from their discomfort with this misidentification, particularly the husband's suggestion to sit with the driver—a breach of social etiquette hinting at underlying anxieties about class and gender roles. The lighthearted scene speaks to the rigid expectations placed on married couples, particularly women, to perform a certain kind of happiness and social role. The card subtly pokes fun at the performative aspects of identity and the pressures to conform to societal norms, which are often at odds with individual desires. It’s a reminder that appearances can be deceiving, and that beneath the surface of social convention, there often lies a more complex and nuanced reality.