Sweet-Peas: Goodbye Sweetheart!, from the series Floral Beauties and Language of Flowers (N75) for Duke brand cigarettes 1892

This is "Sweet-Peas: Goodbye Sweetheart!", a chromolithograph made for Duke brand cigarettes by the American Tobacco Company. It is one of a series of floral beauties, printed on small cards as collectibles and advertisements. The image is rendered through chromolithography, a process involving multiple lithographic stones, one for each color. A skilled printmaker would layer these to create a convincing illusion of depth and realism. Chromolithography was at the forefront of mass media, creating vibrant images at a low cost. These collectible cards were carefully manufactured, printed in vast numbers, and strategically distributed to promote products like tobacco. The images are a testament to the power of industrial production, and a reminder of the commercial contexts that shaped cultural tastes and visual experiences. By acknowledging this history, we can understand how images, materials, and modes of production all work to construct cultural meanings.