Montgomery True Blues, Alabama Militia, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

The Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company produced this colorful lithograph card featuring the Montgomery True Blues militia, part of a series promoting Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The composition is strikingly direct, featuring a full-length portrait set against a neutral background. The vibrant blue uniform, punctuated by gold epaulettes and white crossbelts, immediately captures our attention. The figure’s pose is rigidly frontal, almost hieratic, emphasizing a sense of order and military precision. However, the small scale of the card and the commercial context introduce a tension between the heroic representation of the soldier and the mundane purpose of advertising. This interplay between form and function challenges traditional notions of representation. Is this an attempt to imbue a product with the values of patriotism and honor? Or does the commercialization of military imagery destabilize these very values, reducing them to mere symbols in a larger economic game? The tension created encourages a deeper reflection on the relationship between culture, commerce, and identity.