Persimmon, from the Fruits series (N12) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1891

This small chromolithograph entitled “Persimmon” was produced as a trade card for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes, probably in the 1880s. In that period, advertising cards were inserted into cigarette packs to stiffen them and to induce people to buy them. Series of cards were created, designed to encourage repeat purchases as people collected the full set. This card is from the "Fruits" series and features an idealized young girl holding the fruit, as opposed to an actual still-life of the produce. In the late nineteenth century, with increasing industrialization and urbanization, anxieties arose around the loss of rural life. Here, we see a focus on representing idealized, wholesome themes in order to market a mass-produced product. To further understand the social context of this artwork, we might research the history of advertising, mass media, and the cultural values of the time.