Sapper, France, 1853, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This promotional lithograph for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes depicts a French sapper from 1853. Note the soldier's uniform, specifically the white crossbelt. The crossbelt, worn across the chest, is an emblem of military identity, reminiscent of ancient Roman soldiers and their baldrics, symbols of martial prowess and allegiance to the empire. This seemingly simple band speaks to a deep, enduring human need to mark oneself within a group, to signal one's role in the collective enterprise of war. Across time, we see similar bands or straps in various forms—biblical figures with sashes, medieval knights with shield-bearing belts. These symbols evolve, yet the underlying psychoanalytic principle remains: the need to visually communicate status, duty, and readiness for action. These motifs, passed down and reshaped, engage us on a subconscious level. They tap into primal associations of protection, sacrifice, and the eternal cycles of conflict and defense.