Sergeant, 1st Battery, National Guard of the State of New York, 1887, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

Editor: This is “Sergeant, 1st Battery, National Guard of the State of New York, 1887,” a print from 1888 by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, part of their Military Series. It’s so small, like a playing card! What strikes me is how formally he's posed, but it’s an advertisement for cigarettes. It feels like there's more to unpack here. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Consider the plumed helmet, the crossed sabers. What do they signify to you? These aren’t just military accessories; they are symbols, echoing a romanticized vision of the soldier. Editor: So, not necessarily reflective of military life as it actually was? Curator: Precisely! And note how carefully rendered his uniform is, the precision intended to convey authority. This card speaks to the turn-of-the-century American desire to align itself with a lineage of martial valor, even while enjoying the vices of modernity. Look at his expression, too; the artist conveys the pride associated with serving in the National Guard. The image is part of cultural memory; consider the psychological impact that targeted ads had and still have on consumers, intertwining leisure, desire, and identity. Editor: I didn’t think about it like that. Now I'm seeing this little card as less of a portrait and more of a statement about a specific era and its values. Curator: These commercial images, however humble, carry encoded messages that are windows into the past. Editor: Absolutely, understanding those messages transforms my viewing experience.