Violet (Viola Canina), from the Flowers series for Old Judge Cigarettes 1890

This chromolithograph of a violet, or "Viola Canina," was part of a series of flower images made around the turn of the 20th century by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes. These cards were originally included in cigarette packs as a form of advertising and promotion. The practice speaks to the burgeoning consumer culture of the Gilded Age in the United States, where mass production and marketing were transforming social life. The images themselves—often depicting idealized or romanticized subjects—played a key role in shaping consumer desires. Note the gold background. What does it signal? As cultural historians, we might ask: how did such ephemera contribute to the construction of identity and status in this era? What social values did they promote? Answering these questions requires us to look beyond the image itself. We need to investigate the broader cultural and economic context in which it was produced and consumed, and the institutional history of advertising.