Admiral, Greece, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

Editor: So, this is a print from 1888, titled "Admiral, Greece," made by the Kinney Tobacco Company as an advertisement. The uniform is striking but almost cartoonish. How do you interpret the imagery in this portrait? Curator: Well, this isn't just about selling cigarettes; it's about selling an idea of Greece, and of power. Look at how the artist uses very particular, almost stereotypical markers of military authority – the elaborate braiding, the sword. This is a condensation of visual cues that instantly trigger associations with naval strength and national pride. Editor: I see what you mean. It's like they're using a visual shorthand. But what's interesting is that it also feels slightly… detached? Almost like a paper doll. Curator: Precisely. Think about what the trading card format enabled: collecting and, by extension, possessing these figures. In a way, it reduces the Admiral, and, by extension, Greece, to a commodity. How does the knowledge that this image was made to sell cigarettes change your perception of it? Editor: That makes it more ironic somehow. The artist elevates then commodifies the image. I'm beginning to understand this from the symbols they deployed, they also exploited a sense of cultural… otherness? Curator: Exactly. The card taps into both the glamour and the exoticism associated with foreign military figures. By using a slightly caricatured style, it subtly reinforces a sense of distance, maybe even superiority, in the viewer. These images tell a powerful story about the intended audience, and also their cultural assumptions. Editor: So it’s not just a picture of an admiral, it’s a cultural artifact in itself! It’s really made me rethink advertising images. Curator: Agreed, there is a fascinating tension at play here, between admiration, appropriation, and cultural distance.