Private, 2nd Veteran Corps, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

Curator: This is a print from 1888 created by the Kinney Tobacco Company as part of their Military Series, intended to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. It's titled "Private, 2nd Veteran Corps, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania." Editor: Right away, I notice the graphic quality – very flat and stylized. The color palette is quite limited, mostly subdued greens, reds and blues against a tan ground. I am struck by the stark rigidity and geometry in the image. Curator: As a commercial print, it's interesting how they portray the figure. The veteran is dressed impeccably in his uniform, with what seems to be great attention to the detail of the buttons, cuffs and trim. I can feel this print taps into feelings of nostalgia and honor for veterans in the late 19th century. The figure exudes dignity and reserve in his expression. Editor: And it’s curious because, looking more closely, I observe this caricature-like exaggeration with his huge fuzzy hat and strangely elongated stance. There’s a flatness in the rendering of the face as well, that contributes to the sense that it could almost be a satirical representation of a veteran. There’s an oddly disjunctive formal relationship in his appearance. Curator: I wonder if this exaggeration might be playing into familiar, almost stereotypical, tropes associated with military figures at the time. This caricature approach may have actually reinforced certain cultural assumptions about veterans and what their service meant, contributing to the way the idea of ‘veteran’ was understood by the public, consciously or not. I would not discard the idea of "sweetness," also, when thinking of Caporal Cigarettes, perhaps referring back to the gentleness or inner nature of such figures of service. Editor: I find myself fixated on the way the patterned background clashes in this seemingly unresolved compositional space, giving it that tension that perhaps enhances its charm but also creates an imbalance, a disruption that is so evident. Curator: Despite its inherent flaws, I agree, its unique form is memorable, an attempt to immortalize a time. Editor: Yes, I walked in seeing just geometry, but this reveals some intriguing, complex ideas.