1st Regiment, National Guards, St. Paul, Minnesota Militia, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This small chromolithograph was made by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company around 1888, as part of a series of collectible cards included in Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. What we see is a soldier from the 1st Regiment of the National Guard in St. Paul, Minnesota. These cards were a marketing strategy, of course, but they also reflect the intense interest in military display during this period. The U.S. military was modernizing, and the National Guard was becoming a more formalized and professional organization. The image makes meaning through its crisp depiction of the soldier’s uniform, emphasizing order and discipline. As an art historian, I’m interested in how images like this both reflect and shape social attitudes toward institutions like the military. Researching the Kinney Brothers and the history of tobacco advertising, as well as the evolving role of the National Guard, can help us better understand the complex relationship between commerce, patriotism, and visual culture in the late 19th century United States.