Pontificial Guard, Vatican, Rome, Italy, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This promotional card, produced by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, depicts a Pontifical Guard in Rome. His uniform, replete with epaulettes and a distinctive bicorne hat, is a visual echo of military styles from the Napoleonic era. Consider the sword he carries. Across millennia, the sword has been not just a weapon, but a symbol of power, justice, and authority. We see its glint in ancient Roman sculptures, medieval tapestries, and even modern military uniforms. Note how the sword is held—aloof, yet ready. This posture is reminiscent of classical statues depicting emperors and generals, figures who held life and death in their hands. The emotional weight of such symbols is profound. The uniform instills both respect and perhaps, a touch of fear, tapping into our primal instincts of hierarchy and protection. Observe how this imagery resurfaces, subtly altered, throughout history, reflecting the cyclical nature of power and the enduring human need for order.