Officer, 4th Regiment, Iowa, National Guard, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This lithograph of an officer of the 4th Regiment, Iowa National Guard, was produced by the Kinney Tobacco Company as a promotional item for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. Notice how the composition is dominated by a full-length portrait, rigidly posed against a decorative backdrop of red and gold. The sharp lines and flat colors emphasize the two-dimensionality of the image, typical of commercial printing techniques. The officer's uniform, rendered in meticulous detail with multiple rows of brass buttons and gold epaulettes, conveys authority and precision. Consider how the image functions as a sign, both for the represented military figure and the advertised product. The officer embodies ideals of duty and strength, which become associated with the Sweet Caporal brand through the semiotic interplay of imagery and text. This challenges our understanding of representation, where commercial and cultural values converge. The formal structure serves to convey a clear message about status, linking it subtly with consumer culture.