Noble Guard, Vatican, Rome, Italy, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

Editor: Here we have, from 1888, "Noble Guard, Vatican, Rome, Italy," made by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. It's a coloured pencil print. He looks like he's straight out of a history book – all bright red and gold. Almost…comical, in a way. What jumps out at you? Curator: Comical, eh? I like that! You know, these promotional cards often played with perception. The artist is offering us a glimpse into the grand theatre of European power, but through a slightly skewed lens. It reminds me of poking fun at authority; consider those vibrant colours and meticulously rendered details. Notice how it teeters on the edge of caricature? What story does that tell, do you think? Editor: That's a clever way to put it! It almost feels like it’s saying the authority figures of that time are more about show than substance. A jab at how seriously they take themselves. Curator: Exactly! Perhaps, with this swaggering fellow, resplendent in his uniform, Kinney Brothers subtly tapped into the rising sentiment of the everyman finding the old guard a little...foolish? A bit of poking fun at the powers that be through the guise of patriotic imagery. What was intended as an attractive novelty now feels like it could say a lot about the relationship between citizen and state, doesn't it? Editor: It definitely changes the way I see it. Thanks, that was a great angle to consider! Curator: Anytime, remember, even ephemera have tales to tell, often ones the creators never fully intended.