Saxon Chasseur, Germany, 1886, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This chromolithograph of a Saxon Chasseur was made in 1886 in the United States by Kinney Tobacco Company as a promotional item for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The image offers a glimpse into the visual culture of 19th-century Germany, portraying a soldier in his distinctive uniform. The choice to depict a soldier from Saxony, a region within Germany, speaks to the rising tide of nationalism and militarism that defined the era. This card reflects the popular fascination with military power, linking it to the consumption of tobacco products. The Kinney Brothers were an American company. The image, though, creates meaning through its visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations to Germany. To understand the image better, we would need to research the socio-political context of Germany in 1886. Ultimately, the meaning of this seemingly simple image is contingent on its complex social and institutional context.