Fatigue Dress, Private, 22nd Regiment, New York State Militia, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This chromolithograph was made by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as a promotional insert for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. It depicts a soldier in fatigue dress, from the 22nd Regiment, New York State Militia. The image is printed on thin card. Think about the complex processes that went into the making of this seemingly simple image. The design was created by an artist, then transferred to lithographic stones, one for each color. Each stone would have been etched and inked separately, before being pressed onto paper. Consider the labor: from the artist to the factory workers operating printing presses, to the tobacco pickers and cigarette rollers. All these individuals contributed to a vast network of production and consumption. The very existence of this card speaks volumes about the economic and social context of its time. It captures the spirit of American industrial expansion, and the rise of consumer culture. A collectible card inserted in a pack of cigarettes blurs the lines between art, advertising, and everyday life.