Lawn Tennis, from the Games and Sports series (N165) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This chromolithograph, produced by Goodwin & Company around 1888 for Old Judge Cigarettes, presents a scene of leisure: lawn tennis. Note the berries framing the portrait of the young woman to the left; they are more than mere decoration. Consider the Roman goddess Pomona, frequently depicted crowned with or bearing boughs laden with fruit – her emblem of abundance and, indeed, of cultivation itself. Here, the berries imply nature harnessed, much like the game of tennis on a manicured lawn. The repetition of similar symbols across eras reveals a collective memory at play. We find echoes in Renaissance paintings, where fruit garlands symbolize prosperity, or in ancient fertility rites, where offerings of fruits were made to ensure a bountiful harvest. The berries are part of a cyclical procession. They remind us that symbols evolve, adapt, and resurface, bearing the weight of cultural memory and emotional resonance.