Engineer Corps, Sweden, 1886, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This chromolithograph, dating to 1886, was made by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The image is a product of industrialization, a far cry from unique artworks. Chromolithography allowed for mass production, using layered stones to apply different colors. It democratized image-making, but also turned art into a marketing tool, a small card inserted in cigarette packs to entice consumers. Note the image: a Swedish engineer corps, rendered in bright, standardized hues. The subject matter is national pride, but the method speaks to mass production, and globalized capitalism. The card represents the convergence of industry, art, and consumer culture, blurring the line between commercialism and artistic expression. Consider how the value of such an item resides not in its artistry, but in its accessibility, and the complex network of labor and consumption that it represents.