Lilacs: First Love, from the series Floral Beauties and Language of Flowers (N75) for Duke brand cigarettes 1892

Curator: Oh, this is delightful. Let’s explore this chromolithograph titled "Lilacs: First Love." It hails from 1892 and comes from the American Tobacco Company’s series, “Floral Beauties and Language of Flowers.” It's currently housed at The Met. Editor: Okay, my first thought? It's like a perfume ad from a time machine. All soft focus and wistful glances. Very romance novel cover art. Curator: That's not entirely off base! These cards were included in cigarette packs. What strikes me is how it pulls from both Art Nouveau aesthetics and Japanese Ukiyo-e prints, reflecting a real cross-cultural visual dialogue that shaped popular culture. Editor: Right, that flattened perspective! It’s almost dreamlike. I'm getting serious Pre-Raphaelite vibes too – that romanticism cranked up to eleven! But selling it with cigarettes… that's a plot twist. Curator: Indeed. Tobacco companies strategically used visual culture, in this case associating idealized feminine beauty and the symbolism of flowers with their brand. Lilacs traditionally represent first love, conveying a sense of fresh, delicate affection. The implications regarding gender, consumerism, and the construction of desire cannot be ignored. Editor: It feels like a bit of a trap. Like, "Buy our smokes, become the poetic soul who deserves this kind of ethereal love!" Which… maybe worked? Did it work?! Curator: It definitely reflects a desire to cultivate aspirational consumption. We can think about how representations of women during this period were simultaneously elevated to ideals of purity and beauty while also being used to drive commerce. Editor: So, mixed messages all around. I guess "first love" can also mean your first nicotine addiction, tragically. Still, it's got a charm. Makes me wonder if anyone actually found first love over a pack of cigarettes. A truly bizarre meet-cute. Curator: Well, its resonance speaks to the power of visual messaging – its entanglement with our understanding of love, beauty, and societal expectations. These kinds of pieces can reveal unexpected dimensions. Editor: Absolutely. Looking closer definitely changed my perspective. It's a tiny, pretty little rabbit hole to ponder the dark side of marketing and what exactly were the messages from our not so far past.