Hollyhocks (Althea rosea), from the Flowers series for Old Judge Cigarettes 1890

Goodwin & Company produced this lithograph of Hollyhocks for the Old Judge Cigarettes series. It was a time when consumer culture was on the rise and tobacco companies frequently included collectible cards with their products as promotional items. The image of Hollyhocks, or Althea rosea, presented here, serves as a poignant example of how nature becomes intertwined with commerce and gendered expectations. During this era, flowers were deeply symbolic, and their representation often carried coded meanings related to femininity and domesticity. Hollyhocks, with their tall, stately presence, were commonly associated with ambition and abundance, yet within the confines of a cigarette card, these connotations shift. The flowers are neatly arranged, their vibrant colors hinting at an idealized version of nature, carefully packaged for male consumption. Consider the irony: while men are out in the world building their fortunes, a woman’s place is still considered to be in the domestic sphere. The Old Judge Cigarettes Series provided an opportunity to collect images of nature, beauty, and perhaps, to reflect on the changing roles of women in society.