The Graphic Flower: Ray Flowers and Roses in American Art and Culture

America's favorite flora are the homey ray flowers, a tribe featuring daisies, sunflowers, chrysanthemums, dahlias, coneflowers, and black-eyed Susans, combined with the elegant, multifaceted rose. Children pick ray flowers for their prepubescent crush or for their mom; when they get older, they graduate to the rose, a more sophisticated choice. Both high culture and pop culture embrace floral imagery; think of Annie Liebovitz's famous nude photograph of Bette Midler blanketed in long-stemmed American Beauties on the cover of Rolling Stone, or zombies featured in a Wars of the Roses comic book. Thousands of postcards and greeting cards are covered in a sea of roses and ray flowers. Meet Daisy Mae, see Daisy the dog, and view the presidential Rose Garden, as well as influential American and European works of art. These images are combined with the history and romance of our favorite flowers. A nonallergenic floral extravaganza!

Michael B. Emery is the site administrator of Cornwall Iron Furnace. Irwin Richman works with the Landis Valley Associates, a private group dedicated to forwarding the aims of the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum. They have each authored many books about art, culture, and tradition.

Irwin Richman is Professor Emeritus at the Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg and currently the Director of Research and Development for the Heritage Seed Project at the Landis Valley Museum near Lancaster City. His special interest areas are Pennsylvania German culture, American art, and horticulture. He has lived in Lancaster County for over 35 years.