Officer of Infantry, Russia, 1886, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

Editor: This chromolithograph, titled "Officer of Infantry, Russia, 1886," from the Military Series, was created around 1888 by the Kinney Tobacco Company. It feels almost…nostalgic? Like a page torn from a historical novel. What jumps out at you when you look at this piece? Curator: It's the uniform that captivates, isn’t it? The meticulous detail, the bright pops of red and gold against the muted green. And that impossibly bushy mustache! One can almost smell the pomade. But it also speaks of its time - these cards were basically ads tucked into cigarette packs, attempts to lend an air of sophistication and worldliness to the act of smoking. I wonder if people saw it as an aspiration or simply fleeting eye-candy. What do you think? Editor: Definitely eye-candy! I mean, the guy's a bit stiff, don't you think? Like a toy soldier, which makes sense given the miniature scale. Curator: Stiff perhaps, but I see a certain stoicism, a romantic ideal of duty, which of course it is. But, yes, it's a card in the end: flat, idealized, made to catch your attention for a moment then tossed away with the empty pack. It invites us to question, how do we view representations of history? Are they portraits of the real thing or are they are curated representations, even when presented on such a fleeting medium? Editor: I never considered the intent of cigarette cards as curating perspectives, that's fascinating! I guess even the smallest artwork can offer insight into how culture works, and doesn't always equate to an historical source! Curator: Precisely. Art – in any form – holds a mirror up to ourselves and the world we live in, and maybe some distortions!