Dimensions: Sheet: 2 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (7 × 3.8 cm)
Copyright: Public Domain
This small chromolithograph was created by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as part of a series to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The image depicts an officer of the 22nd Regiment of the New York State Militia, a unit with a complex history that reflects the social hierarchies of late 19th-century America. These cards were a form of advertising, but they also functioned as a kind of aspirational media, reflecting and shaping ideals of masculinity, class, and patriotism. The clean-cut, uniformed officer embodies respectability and order, yet the commercial context reminds us that these images were designed to sell a product. This introduces a tension between civic duty and capitalist enterprise. Consider how the image promotes a specific vision of American identity tied to military service. The card invites us to reflect on how these historical representations shape our understanding of citizenship, commerce, and power.
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