"Here's my Maud S.," from the Terrors of America set (N136) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1888 - 1889

Curator: Right, let's discuss "Here's my Maud S.," a colourful advertisement produced between 1888 and 1889 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. It’s part of the "Terrors of America" set, promoting their Honest Long Cut Tobacco. The artwork employs coloured pencil and print techniques. Editor: Oh, look at that crazy goat! It's like something out of a fever dream, pulling a little boy in a tiny, rickety express cart. Hilariously absurd and slightly menacing, actually. The colors, all pastels and browns, give it this weird, nostalgic feel. Curator: The humor definitely hits home! Notice how Maud S., a famous trotting horse, becomes a humble goat pulling a child’s express wagon, playing into themes of subverted power, almost a satire of class and aspiration during the Gilded Age. Editor: I get that. The kid’s grin is almost too wide, a bit manic. It’s like he's enacting some grand fantasy with this… less than majestic beast of burden. The “EXPRESS” on the wagon—ironic, much? Curator: The visual elements like the boy's attire signal youthful mischievousness, contrasting with the “Honest” in the tobacco brand's slogan. The image uses the universally recognized ambition for speed and success, symbolized by the racehorse, but playfully twists it with the image of this boy and his goat. Editor: So, it's like, even the high rollers start somewhere, maybe with a crazy goat pulling a cardboard box. And it also speaks volumes to the democratization of luxury or aspiration at the time. A kind of ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ on a tobacco card! I find the crude draftsmanship unexpectedly charming and very very strange. Curator: Precisely! The appeal isn't just in the absurdity, but also in how it democratizes the idea of aspiration, embedding that social commentary within an advertisement intended to entice mass consumers. Editor: You're right! A clever little snapshot of social dreaming, fueled by a very cynical sales strategy. What more could you ask for? It's thought provoking for being something quite trivial! Curator: Indeed, a poignant insight into late 19th-century American dreams and realities, masked under playful imagery.