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

This small card was printed by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, part of a series to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. These cards were made using a chromolithographic process. This involves using multiple lithographic stones, each inked with a different color, to create a layered, colorful image. The card stock itself is humble stuff, made from pulped wood and likely coated to receive the ink well. But the technique is significant, because chromolithography allowed for mass production of colorful images, making them accessible to a wider audience. These were distributed en masse in cigarette packs, making them cheap to produce but valuable as promotional items. In this context, chromolithography democratized image production, but also served the capitalist aims of advertising and brand recognition. The amount of work required to produce these cards at scale represents a significant industrial effort. So, the next time you light up, consider the complex interplay of materials, making, and social context that went into this small but significant piece of print culture. It challenges the traditional boundaries between fine art, craft, and the engines of capitalism.