Daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum), from the Flowers series for Old Judge Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 1890s advertising with *Daisy (Chrysanthemum leucum)*, a delicate chromolithograph from the Flowers series produced for Old Judge Cigarettes by Goodwin Company and printed by George S. Harris Sons. This tiny gem, measuring just 2¾ x 1½ inches, was one of many collectible cards tucked into cigarette packs to entice smokers and spark a collecting craze among adults and children alike. Part of a popular trend in Victorian-era ephemera, these cards celebrated nature's beauty—here, the cheerful oxeye daisy—transforming everyday flora into promotional art. Crafted as a commercial color lithograph, the piece showcases the era's chromolithographic mastery, a technique that layered vibrant inks to mimic hand-painted watercolors at mass scale. This innovation made high-quality, multicolored prints affordable, fueling the boom in trading cards and advertising inserts. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department from the Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, it exemplifies how commerce intertwined with botany and design. Culturally, these Old Judge cards captured America's growing fascination with floral imagery amid industrialization, offering a pocket-sized escape into pastoral charm. Today, they remind us of ephemera's enduring allure, preserving snippets of Gilded Age nostalgia in a single, blooming bloom.

About the Artist

Goodwin & Company|George S. Harris & Sons · 1850–1950

**Goodwin & Company (ca. 1850–1950)** Goodwin & Company, originally established as E. Goodwin and Brother before the American Civil War, emerged as a prominent New York City-based tobacco manufacturer in the mid-19th century. Operating from the bustling heart of Manhattan, the firm built its reputation on popular cigarette brands such as Gypsy Queen and, most notably, Old Judge, which became syno...