Chief Gummer's Mate, United States Navy, 1886, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This chromolithograph of a Chief Gunner's Mate in the United States Navy was made in 1886 by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as a promotional item for their Sweet Caporal cigarettes. The image reflects a late 19th-century trend in advertising, where idealized representations of military personnel were used to evoke feelings of patriotism and strength, associating these qualities with the product being sold. This was a time of burgeoning American imperialism, and the military held a place of honor in popular culture. By linking their cigarettes to the Navy, Kinney Brothers tapped into a sense of national pride and adventure. However, such images also reveal the social and economic structures of the time. Tobacco companies often targeted working-class men, and the depiction of a naval officer served as both aspiration and endorsement. Historians use resources like trade catalogs, company records, and social histories to understand the connections between commercial images like this and the broader social and cultural landscape of its time. The meaning of art, even in its most commercial forms, is always contingent on social and institutional context.