Sergeant, Signal Corps, United States Army, 1886, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This lithograph was created in 1886 by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as part of a series of promotional trading cards for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. At first glance, the image presents a dignified portrait of a Sergeant in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. But it’s impossible to ignore the context of its creation: the commodification of military service through tobacco advertising, and the insinuation of military ideals into everyday life. The late 19th century was a period of intense industrialization and expansion, which involved the violent subjugation of Native American populations, and Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation in the South. Consider how this image serves as a subtle endorsement of the military's role in these processes, normalizing a culture of authority. Cigarette cards like these were widely collected, particularly by children, embedding these values into the popular consciousness. It prompts us to consider the cost of these images, and the legacy of power they represent.