Carnation: Pride, from the series Floral Beauties and Language of Flowers (N75) for Duke brand cigarettes 1892

Carnation: Pride is a commercial card which was created by the American Tobacco Company as part of a series called Floral Beauties and Language of Flowers. These cards, distributed with Duke brand cigarettes, reflect the Victorian fascination with assigning meanings to flowers, a coded language often used for courtship. Here, the carnation symbolizes pride, subtly aligning the flower's meaning with the act of smoking a Duke cigarette. The image of a woman wearing a laurel wreath adds another layer, suggesting a classical ideal of beauty and achievement. But who gets to embody these ideals? How does this imagery reinforce or challenge the social hierarchies of the time? The card evokes the complex interplay of consumer culture, gender ideals, and the silent language of flowers. It reminds us that even the most fleeting images carry layers of cultural meaning and unspoken desires.