Private, 9th Regiment, New York State Militia, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

Curator: Let’s take a look at this, shall we? What we have here is a chromolithograph—a color print—dating from 1888. It’s called "Private, 9th Regiment, New York State Militia" and comes from a series made by the Kinney Tobacco Company to promote their Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. Editor: Wow, so even back then, advertising found its way into art, or vice-versa. It has a very delicate, almost dreamy quality… and those slightly faded colors give it a very interesting feeling. A very upright figure with rather dapper tailoring! It feels unexpectedly poignant, as a piece of marketing. Curator: I find the use of lithography incredibly significant here. Think about the material process—how the image had to be broken down into different color layers, each painstakingly etched onto a stone or metal plate. Each layer rolled separately and building the image up gradually... The tobacco company clearly invested in skilled labor and quality materials, elevating a humble advertisement into something visually striking. We shouldn’t dismiss the artistry just because of the commercial intent. Editor: Exactly! And I agree. It reminds me that so many art forms we consider “high art” now started out as workaday craft or even advertising—like the painted signs on shops from earlier times. These pieces of marketing also spoke to folks with a completely different cadence and intention. It can take a little time to find the art when it shows up this way. I suppose a piece like this is a looking glass reflecting what that looked like. Curator: The way it blends artistry with commerce is what truly fascinates me. Sweet Caporal cigarettes might be long forgotten, but this little artwork persists, inviting us to ponder the dance between art, advertising, and cultural memory. A tangible reminder that every object carries stories far beyond its intended purpose. Editor: Absolutely, a story about capitalism, craft, memory. And perhaps more. When you start looking, a private from the 9th Regiment, New York State Militia begins to come into clearer focus... You start to understand all the stories an image like this could be a key into. It has that ability.