Private, City Guards, Springfield, Ohio, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This chromolithograph card, part of the “Military Series” issued by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, depicts a Private from the City Guards of Springfield, Ohio. The card was likely given away with the purchase of Sweet Caporal Cigarettes as a form of advertising in 1888. The card features a detailed depiction of the guardsman, with his uniform, rifle, and facial features all clearly visible. The image's vibrant colors and detailed illustrations, typical of chromolithography, add to its historical significance as a record of 19th-century American military dress.