Standard Bearer, Spain, 1853, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This small card, Standard Bearer, Spain, 1853, was made in the late nineteenth century by the Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. It is a chromolithograph, a type of print made using multiple lithographic stones, each inked in a different color. The relatively low cost of this industrial printing technique made it perfect for mass-produced ephemera like this. It was a far cry from the painstaking labor of earlier forms of printmaking, like etching or engraving. The image shows a Spanish soldier in full regalia, rendered in bright, saturated colors. The flat, graphic style is typical of chromolithography, where the emphasis was on bold outlines and clear, legible images. The use of this technique points to the rise of consumer culture and the growing importance of advertising in the late 19th century. These cards were not intended as high art but as a means of capturing attention and promoting a product. So next time you light up, consider the complex interplay of art, commerce, and consumption.