Pomona, Goddess of the Fruits, from the Goddesses of the Greeks and Romans series (N188) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This chromolithograph of Pomona, Goddess of the Fruits, was produced by the Wm. S. Kimball & Co. sometime in the late nineteenth century. The image presents a feminized ideal of nature for mass consumption and participation within the commercial world. Here we see Pomona adorned with the bounty of the harvest, surrounded by swirling, stylized vegetal forms. This card was one in a series included in packs of Kimball cigarettes, and this speaks to the use of classical imagery as a marketing tool during America’s Gilded Age. Companies like Kimball turned to art to class up their product and appeal to a growing consumer culture. This card can tell us a lot about the cultural values of the time. The study of advertising ephemera offers critical insight into consumerism, gender roles, and the commercialization of art in late 19th century America.