Private, Ancient and Honorable Artillery, Boston, Massachusetts, V.M., from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This small chromolithograph was printed by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as a promotional item for their Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. Using a process that allowed for mass production, it depicts a member of the Private, Ancient and Honorable Artillery of Boston. Look closely, and you'll notice the layering of colors, achieved through multiple passes of printing plates. The flat, bright tones are typical of chromolithography, a technique that democratized image-making in the late 19th century, making colorful illustrations available to a wide audience. These small cards were collected and traded, becoming a popular form of advertising. This image raises important questions about labor and consumption. The production of these cards relied on factory workers, while the image itself promotes a product – cigarettes – that had its own social and health implications. The card, therefore, becomes a fascinating artifact of a rapidly industrializing society, where art, commerce, and everyday life were increasingly intertwined.