Lieutenant, Infantry, United States Army, 1799, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

Editor: So, this is "Lieutenant, Infantry, United States Army, 1799," from 1888, a print from the Kinney Tobacco Company's Military Series. The figure, the uniform, and the geometric gold background create a rather imposing, perhaps idealized image. What's your interpretation? Curator: It’s interesting how this image, ostensibly about American military history, circulated as a cigarette card. We should examine the confluence of militarism and consumer culture in the late 19th century. How did tobacco companies use historical imagery to cultivate particular notions of American identity, class, and even masculinity? Editor: I never thought about that! It’s presented so straightforwardly, as just a depiction of history. Curator: Precisely. What historical narrative is being told, and more importantly, who is telling it, and why? Who was excluded or negatively impacted by the history in question, and what values and/or people benefitted from it? Editor: It’s definitely presenting a very particular view of American history, focusing on the military, the elite, and probably white men, given the time. What is up with the swirls behind the lieutenant, anyway? Curator: The backdrop itself pulls from the aesthetics of Orientalism popular at that time. The American army becomes enmeshed in what was once the cultural other, blurring national and racial identities. That decorative element hints at the global reach of American power and the complex relationship between the US and the rest of the world. What do you make of it? Editor: I am thinking about cultural appropriation and advertising. We are viewing layers of commercial interest in patriotic iconography. I see now this print raises more questions than answers! Curator: It absolutely does! It makes you think critically about not just what’s shown, but what remains invisible.