Tiger Lily (Lilium superbum), from the Flowers series for Old Judge Cigarettes 1890

This “Tiger Lily”, by Goodwin & Company, was one of a series of flower images produced for Old Judge Cigarettes. These small cards were designed for mass consumption, tucked into cigarette packs to stiffen them and, of course, to encourage repeat purchases through collecting. Made in America at a time when cigarette companies used all manner of promotional strategies, the image operates through a tension between consumerism and class. Collecting was a popular pastime, but only those who could afford to buy cigarettes regularly could participate. As a result, the images on these cards had to have broad appeal, such as this one. Art historians would research the social history of tobacco and advertising to better understand how this image worked as a cultural object in its time. The history of art is always contingent on these contexts of production and consumption.