Leading the German / A Pot Boiler, from the Jokes series (N118) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1890 - 1893

This small card, "Leading the German / A Pot Boiler," was printed around 1900 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco. It’s a chromolithograph, meaning that multiple stones or plates were used to apply different colors, creating a layered, vibrant image. These cards were essentially advertisements, cheap to produce and distributed widely. Yet, they offer a glimpse into the social attitudes of the time. Note the stereotypes in the depictions of the German man and the policeman, which speaks to the immigrant experience and power dynamics. Even the jokes themselves, rendered through visual puns, reflect a certain cultural sensibility. The card’s value lies not in its artistic finesse, but in its insight into the history of labor, politics and consumption. It challenges our conventional expectations about art and its role in everyday life.