Coxswain, United States Navy, 1886, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This colorful lithograph, “Coxswain, United States Navy, 1886,” from the Military Series of trading cards issued by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes, depicts a sailor in his uniform. The card, printed in 1888, is a prime example of the vibrant chromolithography popular in the late 19th century, and exemplifies a trend of using collectible cards to advertise products. The work, now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, measures a mere 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches, but captures a snapshot of American military fashion and popular culture of the era. The simple yet bold graphic style, characteristic of this type of collectible, would have appealed to the general public, who were often drawn to the colorful and sometimes sentimental imagery found on trading cards.