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

Editor: This is "Holly: Foresight," from the series Floral Beauties and Language of Flowers, created around 1892 by the American Tobacco Company. It's a drawing, or perhaps a print of a drawing. What strikes me is the slightly unsettling juxtaposition of the child's innocent gaze with the commercial intention of the cigarette card. How do you interpret the connection between innocence, foresight and the advertisement here? Curator: It’s interesting that you find that juxtaposition unsettling – I find it delicious, like a slightly sour cherry cordial on a winter’s day. There's an intentional paradox at play, I believe. The 'foresight' suggested by holly could be read as both the child's imagined future and the company's forward-thinking marketing strategy of the time. Do you think the 'Language of Flowers' aspect adds another layer to this? Editor: Definitely! The "language of flowers" was all about coded messages, right? But using a child to sell a product... it feels almost too blunt for coded messaging. It's so upfront! Curator: Perhaps, but think about it. The flower becomes a symbolic link. Holly, promising foresight, tied to an image of youthful optimism...it invites the consumer to envision a brighter future, attainable perhaps, through, well, cigarettes. A preposterous, whimsical connection! The charm of the image works as a deflection, masking the blunt commercialism with a touch of seemingly harmless innocence. Editor: I guess I didn’t see it as tongue-in-cheek at first. But now, understanding how overt the "innocence" of this commercial piece actually is... I see the whimsy now! Thank you for opening my eyes to a new way of looking at it. Curator: And thank you for prompting a deeper look myself. Art, even in advertising, has endless stories to tell, doesn’t it?