Marine, French Navy, 1886, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This 1888 lithograph by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, known as "Marine, French Navy, 1886," is a colorful portrayal of a French sailor. The piece was part of a larger series of trading cards issued by Kinney Tobacco Company, promoting their popular Sweet Caporal cigarettes. The detailed image, which depicts a sailor holding a rifle in his right hand and wearing a distinctive white helmet, embodies the visual style of the 19th-century trade card movement. This lithograph, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, provides a fascinating glimpse into a bygone era of cigarette advertising.