Colonel, 2nd Corps Cadets, Massachusetts, V.M., from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This small card, issued by the Kinney Tobacco Company, presents a Colonel from the 2nd Corps Cadets in Massachusetts. These cards, distributed with Sweet Caporal Cigarettes, reflect the late 19th-century cultural landscape, marked by industrial expansion and the pervasive influence of advertising. What strikes me about this image is how it encapsulates notions of masculinity and social status during this period. The Colonel, with his meticulously groomed beard and formal attire, is presented as a figure of authority. Yet, placed on a cigarette card, his image becomes a commodity, a tool to promote a product, intertwined with the growing culture of consumerism. The card also speaks to the era's fascination with military culture, a theme that frequently appeared in popular imagery. It prompts us to consider the relationship between commerce, militarism, and the construction of identity.